Lost but Not Forgotten
by ShadowX-Over.Writer
Summary: Tadase goes missing and the Guardians have to go on without him. A lot is put on Amu's plate as a new enemy is sent by Easter to obtain the Embryo and especially when she feels like it's her fault that Tadase is gone. Rated T just in case
1. The Accident

New fic up! I'm going to **_try_** and make a fic that isn't too long but I've had this idea stuck in my head for a while so here it goes! This wil be my first Shugo Chara! fic, hope that I don't disappoint. I'm not going to tell you the pairings, because I think that you should all figure that out for yourselves. Hope you all enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara or any of the characters. If I did, well, I'd make some pretty big changes.**

**Lost but not Forgotten Chapter 1: The Accident**

"Amu-chan, hurry up or you're going to be late!" a small pink-haired cheerleader chibi said floating next to Amu as she raced down the sidewalk.

"I know, I know! It's just that my bed felt a lot comfier than usual…" Amu trailed off.

"Amu-chan, focus!" a blue-haired chibi told Amu.

"Don't want to miss out on any learning, desu!" a green-haired chibi said sweetly.

Amu turned a corner, almost slipping in the process and bolted down the sidewalk.

She started panting heavily, tiring with each step.

"I'm not going to make it!" Amu cried as Ran flew next to her.

"Yes you can! Character Change!"

The X-shaped hair pin holding up Amu's ponytail turned into a heart as small, hollow wings appeared at Amu's wrists and ankles.

"Hop…"

"Step…"

"Jump!"

"WAAAAHHHHHHH!" Amu cried as Ran sent her shooting high into the air.

"RAAAAN!"

"There was no other choice, Amu-chan!"

"GAH!"

As Amu jumped from one block to the next, a black car came out from around the corner, stopping to see where Amu was before speeding down the street towards the school.

* * *

Through the whole lesson, Amu was basically out of it due to the "sprint" to school. Her body was tired and couldn't help but be put to sleep by Nikaidou-sensei's voice, until he would call out her name, incorrectly, to answer a question. Though Rima would whisper the answer to Amu, helping her in her time of need. Amu nodded a thanks to her before answering the question before Nikaidou-sensei moved onto the next question.

When the bell rang, Amu let out a sigh of relief as she stretched her arms.

"Why so tired, Amu?" Rima asked in concern as Amu sighed again.

"She's just tired because Ran did a Character Change with her to get her to school on time." Miki answered.

"Why don't we walk home together then, Amu-chan?"

Amu looked up and blushed when she saw Tadase smiling down at her.

"Ah… uh… uh… sure!" Amu said, snapping out of her daze as her charas chuckled before Amu shot a glare at them.

As she and Tadase walked home together, Amu couldn't help but sneak a few glances at Tadase.

'Ah, Tadase-kun… He's such a gentleman. I can't believe he actually offered to walk me home! I could just die!' Amu mentally screamed while blushing.

"Hmph! I don't understand why a king should have to walk a mere commoner to her quarters. It should be the commoner's duty to-"

"Oh, shut up, Kiseki." Ran said as Kiseki glared at her.

"You dare speak to your king with such language? Unforgivable!" Kiseki shouted with a mad-mark over his head as Miki and Su let out exasperated sighs.

Tadase couldn't help but chuckle at his shugo chara's behavior while Amu admired his smile.

Amu didn't realize that she had suddenly stopped in the middle of the road as screeching tires could be heard in the distance.

Suddenly, a black car came flying over the hill, veering off to the left and then to the right, making it seem like the driver was drunk.

Tadase turned around and widened his eyes in horror to see the vehicle careening down towards an oblivious Amu.

"Amu-chan!" Amu's shugo charas cried in warning as Tadase rushed forward.

Amu whirled around to see the black car only a few yards in front of her, set on a collision course with her right in the way.

Her eyes widened in fear as she saw her life flash before her eyes.

All Amu could hear was the sound of her chara crying out her name and the sudden screech of the brakes of the car.

She suddenly felt herself being forcefully pushed to the side, followed by a sickening crash.

Amu landed hard on the sidewalk, but safely out of harm's way.

"Ouch… That really-" Amu was cut off when she looked over to see Tadase lying motionlessly on the other side of the street.

"No…" Amu whispered.

"TADASE-KUN!"

Amu rushed to Tadase's side and was absolutely horrified to see the blood dripping down the side of Tadase's head. His right arm also looked to be in bad shape and his breathing was uneven.

"Amu-chan, call an ambulance, hurry!" Miki cried as Amu snapped out of her thoughts and scrambled to get her cellphone out of her pocket and desperately tried to stop shaking as she dialed 911.

"Tadase! Tadase!" Kiseki cried as tears welled up in the chibi king's eyes.

Tadase was knocked out cold and had a pained expression on face.

'This is all my fault… If I hadn't been standing there, Tadase-kun wouldn't have…' Amu said to herself as a tear streaked down her face.

She took hold of Tadase's good hand and gave it a small squeeze.

"Tadase-kun… Please don't…"

Everything seemed to go by like a blur as sirens blared in the distance and an ambulance and police cars gathered around them.

A medical team rushed out of the ambulance and carefully put Tadase onto a stretcher.

He was then placed in the ambulance and was rushed to the hospital.

Amu stared horror-stricken as she watched the ambulance go. She had pleaded to them to let her go with him, but the police needed to ask her a few questions.

Amu's answers were shaky and she almost broke down crying at some points but kept a hold of her emotions. She told them about the black car and how crazily it was driving. She also told them that she was the one almost hit if not for Tadase.

After she was finished being questioned she was driven home.

When she was dropped off, the police explained to Amu's parents about the situation and that they'll do whatever they can to find the car that hit Tadase.

Mrs. Hinamori hugged Amu tightly, thanking the heavens that Amu was all right.

Amu smiled at her concern but couldn't help but feel guilty about the whole thing. She was the one that was suppose to get hit, not Tadase.

He was the one who saved her. It just didn't seem right that Tadase took the blow for her.

Tears started pouring down Amu's face as her mother hugged her closer, allowing her daughter to pour her emotions out.

* * *

"Well, he's in stable condition. But it looks like he hit his head pretty hard. He also might have some spinal problems for a couple of months. A few broken bones but he's lucky to have gotten out of that ordeal alive." The doctor said looking down at a clipboard.

"Make sure to give him pain medication and keep him comfortable." The doctor said as the nurse beside him.

The nurse nodded and went to check up on Tadase.

Tadase had several braces on. One supporting his neck and his back. His arms and legs were wrapped up as well as his head. He had several bandages on his face as well as his chest.

He had an IV attached to his arm and seemed to be sleeping soundly.

The nurse checked his IV and the monitors before looking over at Tadase and gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Poor thing…"

Seeing that Tadase was okay, the nurse walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

After she turned the corner down the hall, a couple of shady looking men wearing sunglasses came up to Tadase's room door and entered, closing the door silently behind them.

A little while later, the nurse came back in to check on Tadase.

When she entered, she let out a gasp and dropped her clipboard.

"Hotori-san…? Hotori-san!" the nurse cried when she found Tadase's bed completely empty.

The blankets were lying on the ground and the IV needle was left on the bedside.

The nurse frantically searched the room, looking under the bed, in the closets, and behind the sheets.

She stopped at the window and saw that it was open, the drapes blowing in the breeze.

"Impossible… He couldn't have…" the nurse muttered as she looked out the window.

Tadase's room was several stories up and was impossible for anyone to jump down without severely injuring themselves.

"Why are you over at the window?"

The nurse whirled around to see Doctor Hatori standing at the door.

"Doctor Hatori! Hotori-san is missing!" the nurse cried, her eyes wide with confusion and fear.

"What?" Dr. Hatori cried as he looked over at the empty bed and rushed over.

"But that's impossible! There is absolutely no way he could have gotten anywhere in his condition. He's not even suppose to be conscious!"

"Alert security and search the whole building!" Dr. Hatori ordered as the nurse nodded and rushed out the door.

Security checked every floor of the building and even outside, but there was absolutely no sign of Tadase anywhere.

* * *

Tsukasa laid down the King card from his deck of cards and frowned.

He got up from his chair and walked over to the window. He looked out, watching the setting sun in the distance.

"Dark days are approaching…" Tsukasa said closing his violet eyes. "Be strong, Guardians… Even with the absence of your King."

The next day at school was hard for Amu. She had gotten up earlier than usual and skipped breakfast.

Her parents exchanged worried glances as Ami stayed completely oblivious.

Guilt still weighed heavily on Amu's shoulders as she went through the whole day staring out the window of the classroom.

Her charas didn't even know how to cheer her up and watched her worriedly.

The only one who could possibly take the guilt away was Tadase himself, but considering he was unconscious at the hospital, it didn't seem likely Amu would be feeling better any time soon.

Nikaidou-sensei called on Amu a couple more times but she seemed too distracted to even acknowledge him. Even nudges from Rima didn't snap her out of her daze. Rima looked at her friend in concern, unsure what was the matter. Nikaidou-sensei eventually gave up and moved on to ask someone else.

After class, Rima came over to Amu and shook her gently by the shoulder.

"Amu, hey Amu." Rima called as Amu finally snapped out of her trance and looked over at Rima.

"O-Oh. I'm sorry, Rima. I was just…"

"The Founding King is calling an urgent Guardian meeting." Rima said.

Amu widened her eyes in surprise.

"The Founding King?"

Both Amu and Rima walked to the Royal Garden where they found Nagihiko, Yaya, and Tsukasa, already waiting for them.

"Queen's chair, Joker, take a seat." Tsukasa said with a serious tone.

"Why did you call an urgent meeting? Where's Hotori-kun?" Nagihiko asked.

"He wasn't in class either." Rima added as Amu felt herself sink lower into her chair.

"Neh? Tadase-kun isn't here? Then how are we suppose to hold this meeting without him?" Yaya cried.

"I'm holding this meeting precisely why Tadase-kun isn't here." Tsukasa said as all eyes landed on him.

"You may be all unaware of this, but something happened the other day. Tadase-kun was a victim of a hit-and-run on his way home and was immediately hospitalized."

All the Guardians, except Amu, gasped in shock.

"Is he going to be all right?" Yaya cried as she stood up from her chair.

Rima looked over at Amu. "Weren't you walking home together with Tadase?"

Amu remained silent as she looked hard at her hands in her lap.

"I haven't even told you the worst news."

At that everyone, including Amu, looked up at Tsukasa as he folded his hands together on top of the table and leaned against them.

"Tadase-kun was in stable condition, but he was unconscious," Tsukasa paused.

"Go on." Nagihiko prodded for him to continue.

Tsukasa sighed and opened up his eyes slightly. "We don't know exactly what happened but when a nurse went to check on him… He was gone."

A heavy silence hung in the air as the Guardians stared at Tsukasa in disbelief.

"What…?" Amu said, her eyes trembling.

"They searched all through out the building and even outside. There was no sign on him anywhere."

Amu stood up abruptly from her seat, slamming her hands down on the table.

"H-He couldn't have just gotten up and walked away! You said yourself that he was unconscious!" Amu cried, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

"Amu-chan…" Ran said sympathetically as Amu's shoulders started shaking.

Tsukasa nodded sadly. "Yes, in Tadase-kun's condition he couldn't have gotten up or even moved for that matter. It's likely that someone had slipped into his room unnoticed and kidnapped him."

Rima's eyes went wide and started trembling.

"R-Rima…!" Kusukusu said worriedly, knowing Rima was almost kidnapped at one point.

Nagihiko saw her expression and silently reached over from under the table and placed a hand over Rima's, in hopes of comforting her.

Though Rima would instinctively slap his hand away, she felt too much grief and emotion and gave Nagihiko's hand a small squeeze.

Yaya looked over at Amu worriedly as Amu seemed to be in a state of shock and couldn't mutter a single word.

"The police are doing the best that they can to find him. But seeing as there were no witnesses or any clues to how they escaped with Tadase-kun… We may never see him again." Tsukasa said gravely.

After that, Amu broke down and cried.

* * *

**To be continued...**

I would cry too if Tadase got hit by a car. :( Though I think there are probably mixed responses out there. Hope I kept everyone in character and didn't stray to OC. I will also try to refrain from bashing a certain neko character whom I am not too fond of... too much. Hope you all enjoyed, please review!


	2. Easter Strikes Back

Hello peoples, I know you're out there. =_= Anyways, here's the next chapter and enjoy. There is a small (minuscule) Amuto moment here. Though I don't like Amuto, it doesn't mean I can't make an Amuto moment.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara or any of the characters.**

**Chapter 2: Easter Strikes Back**

Six months had passed since Tadase's disappearance and there was still no word about who had taken him or where he was taken to.

There were no leads on the abduction, leaving to all dead-ends.

Seeing that Tadase hadn't been heard from since, it was probably true that he was gone.

Everyone at first refused to acknowledge that Tadase was truly gone, but one by one, they all had to except reality and move on.

This was a huge steak through the heart to Amu; she couldn't believe that the Guardians had given up hope on Tadase, even Kukai.

The Guardians told her that she too had to accept that Tadase was gone at some point.

As the days went on, things basically went back to normal with the Guardians battling against Easter's attempts to create hoards of x-eggs and searching for the Embryo, all with the absence of Tadase.

Because of this, Nagihiko had taken it upon himself to lead the Guardians from the Jack's chair since the King's chair remained empty.

Amu had brought up the fact that if they got the Embryo, they could wish for Tadase back.

It was a possibility, but Nagihiko reminded Amu that it may be a while until they actually get the Embryo and that it was also possible they may never acquire it. So it wouldn't be right for them to get their hopes up about it.

"I'm sorry, Amu-chan. But there's really nothing we can do for Hotori-kun at this point." Nagihiko said sympathetically, putting a hand on Amu's shoulder.

Amu nodded solemnly, but still felt like she shouldn't lose hope, though another part of her told her otherwise.

After a month, Amu had come to terms with her feelings and decided to let go of her hopes on Tadase. He was gone and there was nothing she could do about it.

Amu stood on her balcony, looking up at the stars while thinking about what had happened in the past few months.

"I still can't believe Tadase-kun is gone…" Amu sighed while resting her had in her arms that were sitting on the rail.

"I can't believe it's been six months." Miki said also looking up at the starlit sky.

"If Tadase-kun is still out there, I wish him well desu." Su prayed.

"Su, if Tadase-kun was still out there, we would have heard from him by now." Amu said irritably.

"Someone's in a good mood this evening."

Amu flinched as a familiar blue-haired, cat-eared, teenage boy jumped down onto the balcony with a light tap.

Amu frowned. "I'm not in the mood, Ikuto."

"Ah, there you go giving me the cold shoulder again, Amu." Ikuto said in a mocking tone.

Amu let out a frustrated sigh as Ikuto came over to her.

"Hm? Still brooding over the loss of the Kiddy King?"

"Shut up! Don't talk about him like that!" Amu shouted as Ikuto looked at her taken aback.

Amu looked away from him as her shoulders started trembling in emotion.

"You don't understand…" Amu mumbled as Ikuto came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I-Ikuto?" Amu said in shock while blushing.

Ikuto rested his had against the back of hers and sighed.

"I do understand. I'm sorry." Ikuto muttered.

Amu shook her head as Ikuto slowly let go and decided it was best to leave.

Without another word, Ikuto jumped off the balcony and onto a nearby catwalk and disappeared into the night.

"Ikuto…" Yoru said in concern. "Does the disappearance of Tadase bother you, nya?"

Ikuto paused and closed his eyes. "In a way, yes. But there really is no point to continue dreading on the past."

* * *

Ikuto entered the Easter building and made his way down a dark, gloomy hallway.

His footsteps echoed through the hallway with each step.

As he neared a specific door, he couldn't help feel like he was being watched by a dark presence.

He opened the door and walked into a dark office which was only lit by the moon shining outside.

A man sat at a desk directly in front of the window, which cast an eerie shadow over him.

"Good of you to come, Ikuto." The man said as Ikuto sighed internally while he closed his eyes.

"What do you want?"

"Is that the way to address your father?" the director said with a sharp tone.

Ikuto narrowed his eyes. 'You are not my father.'

"You called us boss?"

Ikuto turned around to see Tsukumo, Chichimura, and Manta come through the door while wheeling a strange machine into the room.

"What is that contraption?" Director Hoshina asked crossly.

Tsukumo smiled confidently while presenting the machine with a dramatic pose.

"This here is the **Come to me Embryo** **5000X**. It produces a sound wave that will attract a large amount of X-eggs and also the Embryo! Allow us to demonstrate!"

Tsukumo nodded to Manta, who went ahead and pressed a few buttons on the machine as it whirred to life.

"Now, come to me Embryo!" Tsukumo said dramatically as the machine started vibrating violently and a small alarm went off.

"Uh oh…" Chichimura said as Manta desperately tried to fix the problem.

The machine started flashing as smoke started pouring out of it.

"You idiot! What did you do?" Tsukumo cried while frantically waving his arms.

"What did I do? You were the one who-" Manta started but was cut off when the machine exploded.

Everyone was coughing as scraps of metal fell all over the office as the three stooges slowly looked up at Director Hoshina, who was glaring at the three of them, obviously not amused at their failed attempt yet again.

"Please Sir, I beg for you forgiveness!" Tsukumo said bowing as did Manta and Chichimura.

Ikuto rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed as Director Hoshina narrowed his eyes at them.

"It's obvious that I can't depend on any of you to bring back the Embryo, so I decided to have someone more competent to search for it."

Ikuto's eyes widened slightly as Tsukumo's mouth dropped.

"S-Sir, are you saying that you're replacing us?"

"You can say that," Director Hoshina said before snapping his fingers. "Come in."

The front door swung open as someone walked in from the shadows.

Everyone watched at the boy walked past them and made his way to the middle of the room.

The boy stood beside Director Hoshina's desk and turned to face everyone in the room.

The boy had spiky, raven-black hair that curved upwards except for his bangs that fell down over his face.

He wore a black outfit that was lined with light green fabric that went all the way down to his boots.

He had several yellow paper talismans attached to the front and on his arms.

There were orange bands on each arm that extended down to his knees and had a metal ring at the attached to the ends.

The most unusual thing about him was the golden, beak-like mast with orange symbols on it that sat comfortably over his face. Only the bottom half of his face was visible.

Floating beside him was a chibi version of himself. He had the same hairstyle except it was green in color and also had cold green eyes. He wore a black and white outfit with light green markings that lined the edges. He wore black pants that were open slightly on the sides.

"W-Who is this? I don't recall ever seeing him before." Manta asked curiously as Tsukumo scowled.

"So this brat is taking our place? What can he possibly do better to retrieve the Embryo-"

Before Tsukumo could finish, the boy shot forward and was standing right in front of him in a blink of an eye, bringing his arm up and paused just below Tsukumo's neck only millimeters away. If stricken, Tsukumo would be in a quite painful or even lethal situation.

"Do you have a problem with that, lab monkey?" the boy said in a dark, threatening tone as his chara snickered beside him.

Tsukumo looked at the boy with a horrified and shocked expression as a bead of sweat dripped down the side of his head.

He gulped as Director Hoshina grinned.

"N-N-No…!" Tsukumo stammered as the boy lowered his arm away from his throat and went back over beside Director Hoshina's desk, allowing Tsukumo to collapse onto the floor, gasping from anxiety.

"What speed…" Chichimura said in awe.

"I hardly had time to see him move." Manta said as the boy shot them a glare from under his mask, causing both Manta and Chichimura to flinch and sweat nervously.

Ikuto stared at the boy suspiciously as Yoru floated down to his shoulder.

"There's something not right about him, nya. I can feel it." Yoru whispered as Ikuto nodded.

"This boy here has been trained by Easter's greatest tutors in martial arts and tacticians to mold him into the perfect soldier," Director Hoshina said triumphantly. "His only goal, to acquire the Embryo and eliminate all who oppose him!"

Ikuto looked shocked for a moment before glancing over at the boy, wearing an unreadable expression from under his mask. His mouth was a straight line and was standing up straight as if he were under military training.

'There's definitely something not right about him… It's like he's empty…' Ikuto thought to himself as the boy moved his head towards him, sending a cold look at him from under his mask.

* * *

Next fall, Amu, Rima, and Nagihiko were all moving on to middle-school where they would meet up with Kukai, much to Yaya's distress as she was going to be the only old Guardian there.

'Tadase-kun would also be moving on if he were still here.' Amu thought sadly after the meeting in the Royal Garden.

"Amu-chi! You can't leave meeee!" Yaya cried, jerking Amu out of her thoughts as she sweatdropped.

"Yaya, everyone has to move on eventually. Like Kukai." Amu said as baby tears appeared in Yaya's eyes.

"But I'm going to be the only original Guardian form the group! I don't want to be the oldest!" Yaya cried.

Amu sighed and gave Yaya a reassuring smile. "Think about it, Yaya. Next year you'll be the youngest again when you move on to middle school."

Yaya looked down at the ground. "I guess…"

"Cheer up, Yaya-chan," Nagihiko said coming over to them. "As the oldest, you get to tell the new Guardians what to do."

That seemed to cheer Yaya up as she pumped her fist into the air and cheered.

Amu laughed as Nagihiko smiled.

"Amu-chan!" Ran called in alertness as she, Miki, and Su flew over to her.

"What's up?" Amu asked.

"I feel the presence of several X-eggs!" Ran said as Amu nodded.

"We have to go!" Amu said as the others nodded before rushing out of the Royal Garden.

As Amu and the others came to an open field where the presence of the X-eggs was coming from, a high-frequency whistling noise sounded that seemed to be coming from all around.

"AHHH! What is that sound?" Ran cried while holding her hands to her ears.

"It sounds like it's coming from all over the place!" Miki cried.

The other charas seemed to be highly affected by the shrilling sound as they all held their hands tightly to their ears with pained expressions.

The high frequency then started affecting Amu and the others as well, giving them pounding headaches.

"Where is it coming from? AAAYYYYYEEEE!" Yaya cried holding her head in pain.

Amu glanced up and gasped when she saw several X-eggs gather overhead, apparently being drawn by the shrilling high-frequency sound. More and more X-eggs started to gather while chanting negative thoughts.

The high-pitch whistling suddenly stopped, allowing the Guardians' pounding heads to cease.

The X-eggs started flying around aggressively while shouting out why they were X-eggs.

Several X-eggs shot purple flames from the base of their X's at the Guardians while others flew around them to surround them.

Amu and the others darted out of the way of the attacks as some of the X-eggs started to give chase to them.

"Amu-chan!" Miki called as Amu nodded.

"My heart, unlock!" Amu said as Miki went back into her egg and was absorbed back into Amu's heart.

"My heart, unlock!" the others said as their charas went back into their eggs and were absorbed into their hearts and were surrounded by a ball of light.

When the light faded, all the Guardians had changed into their respective Chara Transformations.

"Character Transformation, Amulet Spade!"

"Clown Drop!"

"Beat Jumper!"

"Dear Baby!"

The X-eggs came at the Guardians again, screaming out their negative thoughts.

"Juggling party!" Rima shouted as she threw bowling pins at the X-eggs.

The oncoming X-eggs stopped in their tracks before darting out of the way.

"Not so fast!" Yaya said jumping into the X-eggs path.

"Let's go! Go! Little Duckies!" An army of little rubber ducks appeared and flew towards the X-eggs, before taking part in a battle for dominance.

On the other side, Nagihiko and Amu were doing their best to dodge the X-eggs' assault as they blew purple flames at them.

"Blaze Shoot!" Nagihiko cried as he sent several blue, energy balls shooting at the X-eggs.

The X-eggs immediately stopped their attack to dodge out of the way.

"This ends now! Colorful Canvas!" Amu said as a giant paint brush appeared in her hands before sending a wave of colors from the brush at the X-eggs.

The X-eggs became trapped in the colors and were immobilized as Yaya's little duckies had successfully worn down the other X-eggs and then put them to sleep by using Merry Merry, though it also put her to sleep in the process.

"Negative Heart, lock on!" Amu cried while pointing at the X-eggs as they were suddenly surrounded by a heart-shaped light.

"Open Heart!" Amu commanded as she formed a heart with her before firing a brilliant light from her heart, successfully taking the Xs off the X-eggs, purifying them.

After the X-eggs were purified, they quickly flew off into the distance, back to their owners.

Amu sighed in relief as she watched them fly away.

"So, you're the Guardians I've heard so much about."

Everyone whirled around to see who was talking, but saw no one as dark clouds hung overhead.

"Who's there?" Amu demanded as she heard someone chuckle.

"You've got to be joking to say that you're the ones who've been purifying all those X-eggs."

"You're timings are off by about 20% and your techniques are just plain pitiful,"

Amu gritted her teeth in anger as she desperately tried to spot where the voice was coming from.

"What do you know anyway? Who are you? Show yourself you coward!" Amu shouted as she heard him chuckle again.

"Wouldn't you like to know? If you posed even a smidge of a threat, you would have found me by now."

Amu then turned her gaze up a nearby tree to see a boy with spiky black hair with a golden beak-like mask standing on a sturdy-looking branch with a mocking smirk on his face.

All the Guardians came over and glared up at the boy.

"Alright, we found you, now tell us who you are or else!" Yaya demanded as the boy started laughing.

"You think I would actually listen to a pathetic wittle wimp like you?" the boy smirked.

"Why you!" Yaya shouted as Nagihiko came up behind her to prevent her from doing something stupid as she struggled against his grip.

"Nagi! Let me at him! Let me at him!"

The boy glanced towards the direction where the heart eggs flew off and frowned.

"Seems like I didn't gather enough…"

Amu widened her eyes before narrowing them. "Are you working for Easter?"

"We don't have to answer to the likes of you!" a green haired chibi shot-back as he floated over to the boy's side.

"He's got a Shugo Chara." Rima gasped.

"You've got two choices, stop looking for the Embryo or face the consequences." The boy said emotionlessly.

"Who does this guy think he is?" Rima muttered.

"It kind of sounds to me like you want to fight." Nagihiko said as the boy grinned evilly as he cracked his knuckles.

"Why don't we have a test? Let's just see which side the Embryo deems worthy to wield its power!"

With that, the boy pushed off the branch he was standing on and lunged towards Amu.

Amu gasped before jumping out of the way into the air as the boy landed hard on the ground on one knee.

"That was close…" Amu said as the boy suddenly appeared directly behind her in a flash of movement.

"Not as close as this!" the boy said before slamming his foot down on Amu's back, sending her careening down towards the ground.

"Amu!" Rima cried as Yaya came forward.

"Let's go! Go! Little Duckies! Shield!" Yaya instructed her little duckies as they came together and caught Amu just before hitting the ground.

"Arigatoh, Yaya!" Amu said sighing in relief as Yaya smiled.

"Now Go! Go! Duckie Dash!" Yaya ordered as a group of rubber duckies shot towards the boy who was still suspended in mid-air.

The boy smirked before lifting his arm to block the attack and a shield suddenly appeared.

The ducks were electrocuted on contact and ran away crying.

As the boy landed back on the ground, Nagihiko lunged at him, preparing a Beat Dunk.

The boy whirled around and pushed Nagihiko's arm out of the way and thrusted his fist into Nagihiko's stomach and sent him hurtling backwards with amazing strength.

Nagihiko landed painfully on the ground as he winced in pain when he tried to get back up.

The boy looked down at Nagihiko with a cocky smirk before quickly tilting his head to the side, just as a tightrope shot out from behind him, missing its target with a simple gesture.

The boy grabbed hold of the tightrope with one arm and yanked it forward, sending Rima flying forward.

He then pulled back and threw the tightrope to the ground, sending Rima crashing down into Nagihiko.

The boy started laughing. "Is that it? Is this some kind of joke? I've hardly broken a sweat! How can you call yourselves Guardians when you can't even guard yourselves against my attacks?"

"Things aren't going well, Amu-chi!" Yaya cried nervously as Amu nodded, not knowing what to do in this situation.

"Amu-chan, look!" Miki pointed as she appeared beside Amu.

Amu looked over at the boy and saw that his chara was still beside him.

"He didn't even perform a Chara Nari and he still out powered us all." Miki said as Amu's eye trembled.

'Who is he…? And how can we defeat someone like this…?'

**To be continued…**

* * *

I know some of you are like, "That's it?" on the Amuto moment, but hey, that's just me and I don't really like emphasizing on their relationship because I don't support it. Though if you're nice, I'll make a some more just for you Amuto lovers.

The boy the Guardians are fighting at the moment could basically be cosplaying as Sync the Tempest from Tales of the Abyss. Sync is so BadA** I love him! Well, the masked boy's chara is Sync and I go all huggles on him because he's a chibi in this story. :) (If you don't know who I'm talking about, go google **Sync the Tempest**) Please Review!


	3. Suspicions

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara or any of the characters.**

**Chapter 3: Suspicions**

Amu was lying in bed looking up at the ceiling, thoughts whirling through her head.

"Who in the world is he…?" Amu muttered to herself as her charas floated over to her.

"I don't know, but he's really powerful." Ran said in concern.

Miki put her hand to her chin, closing her eyes thoughtfully. "He defeated all of us by just doing a Chara Change, not a Chara Transformation."

"He was also really mean, desu." Su said as Amu sat up.

"Getting the Embryo with him around is going to be a lot harder than it already is now." Amu sighed as she thought back to the battle last week.

~Flashback~

_"Is that it? Is this someone's idea of a joke? I've hardly broken a sweat! How can you call yourselves Guardian's when you can't even guard against my attacks?"_

_The Guardians were clearly getting overpowered and were tiring quickly._

_This enemy was a lot more ruthless than Ikuto and didn't seem to have a specific reason to attack them like Utau._

_"Amu-chan!" Miki called, snapping Amu out of her thoughts as the boy lunged towards her._

_Amu took a few steps back as the boy appeared in front of her while winding up his arm, ready to punch._

_"Didn't I warn you, little girl?" the boy smirked._

_Amu stared at the boy, fear emanating from her expression as she looked from his mask to his evil smirk. Everything about him now caused fear to grip her._

_Just as the boy was about to strike Amu, his smirk suddenly disappeared when a jolt of pain shot through his head._

_"GAH!" the boy cried as he clutched his head in pain while staggering backwards._

_"W-What happened…?" Amu said puzzled as Nagihiko and Rima picked themselves off the ground while looking at the boy curiously._

_The boy cursed as the pain in his head started to become unbearable. It felt like his head was going to split open and there was a threat that he may pass out._

_The Guardians cautiously surrounded the boy as he fell to his knees, his expression underneath his mask showing pure agony._

_Sync floated in front of the boy protectively, glaring at the Guardians as they slowly closed in on them_

_"We've got him now!" Yaya exclaimed._

_"Slash Claw!"_

_Sharp winds sliced through the air down in front of the Guardians, preventing them from getting any closer to the boy._

_The Guardians immediately shielded themselves from the force of the attack as dust kicked up into their faces._

_Ikuto suddenly jumped in front of the boy in Black Lynx form, looking at the Guardians through cold, narrow blue eyes._

_"Ikuto?" Amu said in shock as Ikuto gave her a look of indifference before grabbing the boy and darted out of the Guardians' circle._

_The boy was hanging limply under Ikuto's arm, apparently passed out._

~End of Flashback~

"I wonder what happened to him and why he just suddenly collapsed though." Ran said as Miki and Su nodded.

Amu opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of rapping against the window screen door leading to her balcony.

She looked over and was surprised to see Ikuto standing outside.

Amu quickly came over to the screen door and opened it before stepping outside with Ikuto.

"You're probably wondering about last week, aren't you?" Ikuto said as Amu nodded.

"… Why did you save him?" Amu asked, recalling how Ikuto had saved her several times and trying to keep her safe.

"Ikuto had orders to watch him, nya. In case he had one of his random migraines." Yoru said appearing on Ikuto's shoulder.

"Orders?"

"Easter." Ikuto said simply.

"So he is affiliated with Easter." Miki said.

"I don't know the whole back story to the kid, but his name is Hiroto Sateda. The Director did a good job keeping him in the dark from the rest of us. Apparently Easter put him under special training and molded him into their perfect weapon to obtain the Embryo," Ikuto explained. "Though it seems as if he has a physical condition because the doctors at Easter said he gets severe headaches randomly. They don't know what brings them on but they just happen."

Amu pondered what Ikuto had told her and recalled how fast the boy's headache was severe enough to make him pass out, much to their surprise.

Ikuto chuckled.

"What?"

"Don't hurt yourself thinking too much."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

Ikuto chuckled well-humorously as a mad-mark pulsed on the side of Amu's head.

Ikuto leaned down close to Amu's face, causing her to jerk backwards slightly while blushing heavily.

Amu stared deep into his deep blue eyes as Ikuto smirked and leaned over to Amu's ear.

"I'm just teasing you." Ikuto whispered coolly, making Amu's heart race.

Ran, Miki, and Su covered their mouths in awe while watching the scene in front of them while Yoru just snickered.

On top of another house not too far away, a familiar golden-mask glinted in the moonlight.

Hiroto was watching Amu and Ikuto through binoculars that were built into his mask.

An evil grin tugged his lips as he let his hand that was adjusting the focus to the binoculars fall to his side.

"Very interesting, wouldn't you say Sync?"

The spiky-haired chibi folded his arms and narrowed his eyes while floating next to him. "Hmph."

Hiroto turned back before smirking and jumped from one roof the other, disappearing silently into the night.

* * *

As Ikuto walked the catwalk back home from Amu's house, he couldn't but grin.

'One day…' Ikuto told himself as he thought about how close he and Amu had gotten.

Though it pained to have Tadase just disappear off the face of the earth, Ikuto couldn't help but think that it somehow opened a door to him.

His cat ears suddenly twitched sensing someone was following him.

He immediately narrowed his eyes and stopped walking. "I know you're there so come on out."

Hiroto suddenly appeared on the catwalk in a flash of movement, his dangerous grin evident on his face.

Ikuto glared hard at him. "So it's you…"

Hiroto tilted his head innocently with a look of fake hurt on his face. "What? You didn't want to see me?"

He then smirked. "Heh, I must say, I never would have expected the Director's little boy to be a traitor."

Ikuto widened his eyes before narrowing them. "What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. I saw you talking with that Hinamori girl."

Ikuto smirked. "So, you were spying on us, were you?"

"Don't change the subject, traitor." Hiroto said pointing a finger at Ikuto. "You realize now with this bit of information, I can have the Director take away the small portion of freedom you have left."

Ikuto glared at him as Yoru hissed at him. But even so, he knew his words were true. The Director was already suspicious of him and if he had proof that he was working as a double-agent, he would be stripped of being able to do as he pleases now.

"But…"

Ikuto looked up at Hiroto in surprise while he was looking to the side.

"You saved me when I had one of my attacks. So, I guess we're even."

"Eh?" Ikuto said lifting an eyebrow.

Hiroto jumped down from the catwalk onto the paved sidewalk and started walking away.

He paused and glanced slightly over at Ikuto.

"I'll turn the other way this time, but next time I see you with that girl, our enemy, I'll make sure you get what you deserve, traitor." Hiroto said darkly before walking away.

Ikuto narrowed his eyes at him as Hiroto disappeared into the shadows.

"Ikuto…" Yoru said worriedly.

"Looks like I'll have to be more careful with him around." Ikuto said before continuing his way back home.

~The Next Day~

It was Sunday, allowing Amu to sleep in while her Charas got up early to have a small discussion with each other.

Miki sighed sadly. "I wish Kiseki were here. He'd call for a meeting about this new enemy… Even though we'd probably just ignore him."

Su patted her on the shoulder comfortingly as Amu turned in her bed to face the wall. She was awake and was staring at the wall, deep in thought.

Though Ikuto had made her feel better, she couldn't shake off the feeling of anxiety she felt about Hiroto Sateda.

Her back still ached from the kick that he gave her during the battle. If Yaya hadn't saved her, she didn't know what would have happened.

'Unlike Ikuto, he's willing to hurt others without a second thought…' Amu thought to herself as Hiroto's grin crossed her mind, making her shudder.

Amu finally sat up in bed and stretched the sleep from her body.

"Ohayo!" all three of Amu's charas greeted as they floated over to her.

"Ohayo." Amu yawned, not as enthusiastically.

"What are we going to do today, Amu-chan?" Ran asked enthusiastically.

Amu thought about it for a minute before Ami suddenly threw the door open, entering with a big innocent smile.

"Onee-chan! Bweakfast!" Ami proclaimed before running out of the room giggling happily.

Amu got up and quickly got dressed in her casual clothes before going downstairs.

At the table, Mrs. Hinamori set a plate of hot, steaming pancakes in front of Amu as she sat down at the table.

"Thanks mama." Amu said before taking a bite of her pancakes.

Amu sighed in content at the soft, warm texture of the home-made pancakes. At the end of the table, Ami hungrily stuffed the pancakes into her mouth while humming happily.

"Ami-chan! Kawaii!" Mr. Hinamori swooned while taking several picture of Ami eating.

"How are you this morning?" Mrs. Hinamori asked as Amu sweatdropped.

"Okay, it's just that my back is a little sore."

"DID SOME MEAN BOY HURT YOU?" Mr. Hinamori cried in his spazzy voice.

"Honey, she probably just slept on the wrong side this morning." Mrs. Hinamori reassured.

Amu chuckled nervously. 'He has no idea how right he is…'

After breakfast, Amu decided to take a little walk outside. For a couple of weeks, her parents were a little worried about her going out alone since the incident. But have started to become comfortable about it again. Though her father still insists (begs) that she stay home, though Amu just ignores him while her mother waves to her as she heads out the door.

As Amu walked along the empty street, she couldn't help but let out a sigh.

"Is the thought about that boy still bothering you, desu?" Su asked in concern.

Amu nodded. "We never had to fight against someone so seriously before. I mean, we've only had to fight x-eggs before."

"What about Utau or Ikuto?" Miki asked as Amu shook her head.

"Never like this though. That boy actually punched Nagihiko and threw Rima from the end of her own tightrope. Ikuto and Utau fought us because they were forced to. But the boy was serious about hurting us… and he seemed to enjoy it."

Miki thought for a moment as she pictured the black-haired boy with his green-haired chara. "If you ask me, he acts an awful lot like an x-egg."

"Eh? How did you come up with that?" Ran asked floating over to her.

"Merciless, cocky, negative, challenging, down-grading… That's basically the attributes of an x-egg or character."

"He also had a chara. So that must mean he has a would-be self though, desu." Su added.

All three of them pondered as Amu looked to the side in annoyance.

"Let's just drop the subject. We're only stating the obvious."

"Amu-chi!"

Amu looked over to see Yaya and Rima rushing over to her with smiles on their faces.

"Hey. What are you guys doing?" Amu asked as Yaya held out four yellow tickets in front of Amu's face.

"We got tickets to see Utau-chan's concert! I can't wait!" Yaya cried happily.

Amu looked at her friends in surprise as Rima came forward.

"We wanted to help cheer you up, Amu. Ever since Tadase disappeared, you haven't been quite yourself." Rima said.

"Utau-chan also wanted to help cheer you up, so that's why she gave us these tickets." Yaya confessed as Amu widened her eyes in surprise before smiling.

"Thanks you guys and I'm sorry for worrying about you all." Amu said as Yaya and Rima smiled.

'I really shouldn't be so down. Even though I do miss Tadase-kun dearly, I doubt he'd want me to stay somber for his sake. So, I'll continue to be happy for him.' Amu told herself.

Amu and the others decided to go to where Utau's concert was going to be to see how things were going with the preparations.

Utau's concert was located outside in the park with a large stage. The park was lined with trees, giving it a peaceful atmosphere.

Several people were rushing back and forth, setting up decorations and testing the lights.

Amu spotted Utau directing some people where the certain props should go on the stage. The two workers were exasperated as Utau couldn't make up her mind where a certain prop should go and looked as if they were going to drop in exhaustion.

"Utau!" Amu called as Utau turned to look who called her name and smiled when she saw Amu.

Utau told the workers to just set the prop at the corner, much to their relief as she walked over to Amu's group.

"So, are you coming to see my concert?" Utau asked as Amu nodded.

"It's always so nice to see all of Utau-chan's friends support her!" Eru exclaimed happily as she floated by Utau as Iru snickered on her other side.

Utau's smile faded into a sad one. "I bet you miss Tadase, don't you?"

Amu looked up at her in shock as Utau closed her eyes. "I miss him too. I won't forgive the ones who took my 'little brother.' But we cannot continue to dread on the past."

Amu nodded and smiled. "I'm fine now, really. And thank you for the free tickets."

"It's not like I'm doing this concert just for you." Utau said quickly as Amu sweatdropped.

"I never said that…"

As the time drew closer to Utau's concert, people started showing up and filled up the stands.

Hiding in one of the trees outlining the area, Hiroto watched as more and more people filled out the stands.

A small grin tugged at his lips as Sync, his chara, floated by his side with his arms crossed and wore a look of boredom on his face.

"With all these people, we're sure to get quite the collection of x-eggs." Sync said.

Hiroto nodded as he fiddled with a miniature tuning fork-like object that was attached to a string tied around his neck like a necklace.

* * *

As the sun got closer and closer to the horizon line, the stands continued to fill until the entire stands were completely packed.

Utau glanced from around the corner and smiled, seeing the excitement and support emanating from her fans' expressions.

Lights lit up the area as Utau came out on stage and the audience went wild.

Utau waved to the audience before starting her first song, pumping energy into the crowd.

The audience went wild with cheers and enthusiasm. Amu, Yaya, Rima, and Nagihiko (He came later) watched as Utau danced and sang with all her heart and soul, transferring that energy to the crowd.

"Looks like everyone is having a blast." Iru said.

"Utau-chan is having a great time too." Eru said with a smile as Yukari, who was standing backstage with the two charas, nodded in agreement, also enjoying watching Utau perform.

Half-way through the concert, Utau went backstage for a breather. Yukari handed her a water bottle and directed the stage crew to do some minor adjustments before the concert restarted.

Amu and the others started talking amongst each other about the past week, apparently avoiding the topic about Hiroto.

Suddenly, a familiar high-frequency ringing sounded through the area, causing everyone to cover their ears.

Amu winced before looking up and gasped when she saw the crowd's eyes turned blank and x-eggs suddenly flew out from their hearts.

"Nani?" Utau cried as she came back out on stage with Yukari right behind her.

Amu and the others stood up immediately as a giant hoard of x-eggs were hovering closer to the stage, chanting their negative feelings.

Once everyone's heart eggs were turned into x-eggs, the high pitch sound stopped.

"It's the same as last time!" Yaya cried.

"What's causing this?" Yukari demanded as the Guardians rushed onto the stage and faced the x-eggs.

"Muri! Muri!" the x-eggs cried.

Amu gritted her teeth while glaring intently up at the x-eggs. As she scanned the area of x-eggs she spotted someone familiar sitting back in the stands.

"You!" Amu shouted, pointing at the spiky black-haired boy with the beak-mask who was leaning back with his hands behind his head with his feet propped up on one of the audience members' head.

Hiroto gave Amu a mock smile and waved, his golden mask shining in the spot lights.

"Who is that?" Utau asked.

"He's Easter's new lackey." Nagihiko said as Amu glared at Hiroto before turning her attention back onto the x-eggs.

"Muuuuurriiiii!" the x-eggs cried as they were preparing to attack.

"My heart, unlock!" Everyone said as they performed Chara Nari.

"Character Transformation: Amulet Heart!"

"Beat Jumper!"

"Dear Baby!"

"Clown Drop!"

"Seraphic Charm!"

Hiroto just sat back and watched as the Guardians dealt with the large amount of x-eggs.

'That's right, foolish Guardians. Keep up the good work and purify all those eggs…' Hiroto said to himself while flashing a devious grin.

The Guardians had divided up the hoard of x-eggs, having Rima, Nagihiko, and Yaya take one side while Amu and Utau took the other side.

Nagihiko and Yaya lured the bunch of x-eggs into one area, giving Rima the change to tie them up with her tightrope.

Hiroto brought out the tuning fork-like object and placed the end to his mouth, blowing into it. Causing the shrilling, high-pitch sound.

The Guardians immediately covered their ears as the x-eggs started shaking violently.

The x-eggs broke free from Rima's tightrope and fired purple energy from the base of their xs.

The force threw the Guardians to the ground as the x-eggs continued to swarm around them.

Yukari whirled around to look at Hiroto and noticed the tuning fork-like whistle dangling around his neck.

"So that's where that noise is coming from." Yukari muttered before running off the stage around the x-eggs and rushed to the stands where Hiroto was.

Hiroto stood up and disappeared in a flash of movement.

Yukari slowed her pace before Hiroto reappeared directly in front of her, cutting her off her path.

"I heard about you, Yukari Sanjo-san. You're the one who left Easter, along with Utau Hoshina and Yuu Nikaidou-san." Hiroto smirked causing a gasp to escape Yukari's mouth, witnessing his unbelievable speed.

"But unlike the Guardians, you are of no use to Easter anymore." Hiroto said as he wound up his fist.

"Sanjo-san!" Utau cried as Yukari widened her eyes in horror.

The Guardians started towards to Yukari's aid but the x-eggs flew into their way, blocking their path.

"Muri!" they cried before blasting them with their purple, negative energy again, forcing the Guardians back.

"S-Sanjo-san…!" Utau said while wincing in pain as Hiroto swung his arm towards the defenseless Yukari.

At the last moment, someone moved in front of Yukari and blocked the attack with two sharp-edged swords.

Yukari had closed her eyes awaiting impact, but when she realized nothing was happening, she slowly reopened her eyes.

"Kairi!" Yukari cried in relief.

Kairi gave her a side-glance and smiled reassuringly.

The Guardians turned towards them and widened their eyes in surprise.

"Kairi…" Amu said in surprise, having not seen Kairi in so long since he went back home but not before confessing to her.

Hiroto gritted his teeth and let out a grunt of annoyance before jumping back, putting some distance between them.

He readied his fists in front of him as Kairi readied his swords in front of him while standing in front of Yukari protectively.

"Thank you, Kairi." Yukari said, overjoyed to see her little brother.

Kairi nodded, keeping his eyes focused on Hiroto. "Go and get somewhere safe."

Yukari nodded before doing what Kairi had instructed and ran to a safe place.

"So, you're Yukari Sanjo-san little brother here to save the day. How cute." Hiroto said mockingly as Kairi narrowed his eyes at him.

"Go ahead and mock me if you want, but I will not allow you to harm my sister or the Guardians!"

**To be continued…**

* * *

Yay! Review! Reviews make me happy and makes me want to update faster. Keep it up everyone! *cheers* Okay, enough of that. Yay! Kairi! He's one of my favorite characters. And yes, another little Amuto moment for all you Amuto lovers out there. *sighs exasperatingly* I'm having a lot of fun with Hiroto's character, so cynical and bada**! Shugo Chara needs a character like that if you ask me. :) Next chapter is the Samurai vs the Tempest! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review!


	4. Masked Mysteries

Thanks for all the reviews! They are greatly appreciated and makes me want to update faster! *hint*hint* Anywas enjoy the clash between the Samurai and the Tempest!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara or any of the characters.**

**Chapter 4: Masked Mysteries**

"Lightning Blade!" Kairi cried as he sent a powerful wave of energy from his swords at Hiroto.

Hiroto flipped acrobatically out of the way and lunged towards Kairi with a powerful kick, his foot glowing with a mysterious energy.

Kairi blocked it with his sword and used his other sword to attack.

Hiroto blocked it with his arm, creating a small shield, much to Kairi's surprise.

The two broke apart and faced each other with determined looks, though Hiroto's mask covered half of his face.

"I'll admit, you are a more worthy opponent than the others." Hiroto mused.

Kairi didn't reply as he analyzed the situation. This opponent was fast-footed and powerful and was also able to think quickly. He also noticed that he wasn't in chara nari, which bothered him.

'He can initiate both power and speed from a simple chara change… Is he toying with us?' Kairi thought to himself.

_"Kairi, don't let him get to you. Focus on how you can defeat him." _Musashi reminded him.

"Right." Kairi nodded.

"Hah!" Hiroto cried as he lunged towards Kairi and attempted another kick but Kairi managed to block it with his sword.

Kairi swung his sword at Hiroto again but Hiroto flipped over him out of the way. Kairi whirled around and swung back at him, but Hiroto flipped over him again. Hiroto smirked while putting his fists up again as Kairi pointed his swords at him.

Hiroto attempted several more kicks but were quickly blocked by Kairi's swords.

Both sides clashed with each other, attacking and blocking, trying to outdo the other's attacks. But both sides seemed to be evenly matched.

Kairi was struggling to keep up with Hiroto's swift movements and fast reflexes as he bounded from one spot to the other while attacking with such force, Kairi feared that his swords would break. Hiroto was an expert martial artist and each punch and kick were honed in power and skill. Kairi couldn't help but admire him on that, but didn't dare mention it as Hiroto continued pounding against his blades.

He tightened his grip on his blades, his knuckled turning white due to the strain.

Kairi lunged towards Hiroto, swinging his sword out in front of him in a speedy yet powerful move.

Hiroto jumped over Kairi's attacks with ease and countered with a kick and a few punches.

He then bounded a little over to the side and unleashed a black and purple energy from the palm of his hand at Kairi.

Kairi sidestepped to dodge the brunt of the attack but the sleeve on his right shoulder suddenly tore open, leaving a small scratch on his arm.

A strange symbol appeared on his arm where the scratch was, though Kairi failed to notice it as it faded into his skin.

"That was close." Kairi said wincing at his arm.

_"Kairi!" _Musashi warned as Kairi glanced up to see Hiroto attempt another attack above him.

Kairi brought his two swords over himself, stopping Hiroto's punch, causing green sparks to fly up.

Hiroto pushed off Kairi's swords, creating some distance between the two.

Kairi started panting as he was starting to feel tired and out of breath.

Hiroto was grinning, looking not even the slightest bit tired.

'He's tiring me out on purpose. So once I drop my guard… I'm finished.' Kairi realized as he tried to quickly catch his breath while sweat beaded his forehead.

"Think you can keep this up, little would-be samurai?" Hiroto taunted as Kairi narrowed his eyes.

A soft melody floated in the air as soft, white feathers started falling all around the area.

Utau was using Angel Cradle as the soft melodious song slowly purified the tainted X-eggs, turning them back into regular heart eggs.

Hiroto looked up at the eggs before widening his eyes in shock when he spotted a pure, shiny white egg floating amongst the other eggs.

The egg seemed to be looking for something as it floated right-to-left as the heart eggs around it flew away, back to their owners in the crowd.

"The Embryo…" Hiroto said in awe, seeing the sparkling white egg for the first time.

Amu glanced up at the white egg and gasped. The Embryo had appeared again and this time, Amu was confident on retrieving it.

Hiroto suddenly lunged forward and rammed Kairi out of the way, sending him crashing to the ground. "Out of the way!"

Amu rushed forward towards the Embryo as well, keeping her eyes locked on the sparkling white egg.

Both of them jumped towards the Embryo at the same time on opposing ends. They widened their eyes when they saw each other reach towards the Embryo at the same time before glaring defiantly at each other.

"Go Amu-chi!" Yaya cheered as the others watched in suspense.

'I can't let it get away this time!' Amu said to herself while narrowing her eyes as she reached out to grab the Embryo.

Hiroto tilted his head forward slightly, signifying that he was narrowing his eyes as well as he also attempted to grab the Embryo.

Both were determined not to let the other obtain the Embryo as they strained to reach the shining egg before the other.

Before anyone of them could grab the small egg, it suddenly flew out from between them and disappeared into the distance in a flash of light.

Amu and Hiroto widened their eyes in shock and disbelief before falling past each other and landed back on the ground gracefully on their feet.

"It got away again…" Amu said sadly while looking where the Embryo had disappeared to.

'I thought I would finally be able to bring Tadase-kun back…'

_"Don't lose hope, Amu-chan! You'll definitely get it next time!" _Ran cheered though slightly disappointed as well.

Amu heard Hiroto curse as she looked over at him, who was looking down at his hand.

"I almost had it…"

He suddenly balled his hand into a fist as it started trembling.

Hiroto gritted his teeth angrily as he turned towards the Guardians.

Amu knew just by looking at the lower half of his face that he was glaring daggers at them from under his mask.

"I almost had it…" Hiroto mumbled. "If I had reacted faster… I would have been able to get back something I lost!"

Amu widened her eyes in shock. She then looked at him sympathetically realizing that he wasn't just a hollow shell underneath his cold and sadistic demeanor.

"What is he talking about?" Miki asked as Su shook her head, unsure as well.

As Hiroto was wallowing in his anger, Kairi got behind him and attempted to strike him using a swift swing of his sword.

As if expecting this, Hiroto ducked before Kairi's sword could make contact and flipped over him when Kairi attempted to strike him from below with his other sword.

Hiroto jumped over to a nearby tree and pushed off the base, launching himself at Kairi with a powerhouse kick.

Kairi managed to block Hiroto's attack, but the force sent him stumbling backwards. As he staggered backwards, his heel hit a rock, causing him to lose his footing and fall down to the ground.

"You're finished, little samurai!" Hiroto cried as he lept high into the air and started down on Kairi, his arm wound up to strike him down.

"Kairi!" Amu cried as Kairi widened his eyes in horror as Hiroto's fist started glowing.

In a last ditch effort, Amu threw her Heart Rod at Hiroto who was still in mid-air.

Hiroto was so focused on striking down Kairi; he failed to notice Amu's Heart Rod flying straight towards his head.

At the corner of his eye, he finally spotted Amu's oncoming Heart Rod, but was too late to react.

The Heart Rod caught him off guard as it struck him on the side of his head, knocking his mask clear off his face.

Hiroto gasped slightly as his jump was shortened and went straight to the ground.

Kairi took the opportunity to jump back onto his feet as Hiroto did the same before attempting another kick.

Hiroto's kick almost seemed desperate as Kairi successfully blocked it.

The both of them were locked in their attacks with one another, giving Kairi a chance to look at Hiroto's unmasked face.

His eyes suddenly widened in shock and surprise.

"Wait... You-" Kairi was cut off when Hiroto flipped over his sword and kicked him on the side of his head, sending him crashing to the ground.

Hiroto immediately covered his face with his gloved hand and cursed again. "Tch! The Director told me not to show my face to anyone!"

"Hiroto!" Sync called, carrying his fallen mask.

Nagihiko and Amu rushed towards Hiroto, readying their attacks.

Hiroto jumped high into the air as Nagihiko and Amu came to a stop as their attacks faded.

Hiroto landed on top of the stands that were facing the stage, his back facing them. Amu tried to get a better look at his face, but his bangs were covering them and the spotlights were shining in Amu's eyes, making it difficult for her to see him clearly.

Sync started to follow Hiroto, but was weighed down by the mask. Miki and Su rushed towards him and grabbed hold of the mask, starting a tug-of-war between them and Sync.

"Hey! Let go!" Sync said while pulling the mask with all of his might.

"Not until you tell us what he's hiding!" Miki shouted back as she pulled harder on the mask with Su pulling her waist.

Iru joined in and with one final tug, they all lost their grip and the mask dropped to the ground with a soft clang.

"Why you-" Sync growled.

"Just leave it, Sync. This isn't over, Guardians!" Hiroto said before jumping into the forest of trees, disappearing into the shadows as Sync hurried after him.

Amu came over and picked up the mask off the ground. The golden mask glinted softly in the light as Amu stared at it in wonder.

Nagihiko and Yaya went over to Kairi and helped him back onto his feet. Kairi seemed to be just recovering from Hiroto's initial attack and slowly came to.

"Are you all right, Inchou?" Yaya asked as all of them broke out of Chara nari.

Kairi nodded dully as he stared at the ground, deep in thought.

"Inchou?" Yaya said worriedly, snapping Kairi out of his thoughts.

"Oh, sorry. My head just hurts a little." Kairi said as Musashi looked at him in concern.

The audience slowly came to as well, awakening after their Heart's eggs had come back to them.

Utau had no choice but to continue the concert as if nothing had happened so to not stir up any worry or suspicions.

The Guardians were brought backstage to a small room where Yukari passed out cups of hot cocoa.

She then went to bandage Kairi's arm and also gave him and ice pack for his head.

"That boy, I presume he's the one who is working for Easter now?" Yukari asked folding her arms over her chest.

Everyone nodded. Though Amu didn't know what Hiroto wanted with the Embryo, she knew that he at least had a dream he wished to fulfill.

"He is indeed very dangerous." Musashi said as Kairi brought the ice pack to the side of his head where a big, ugly bruise would form.

"He sure knows how to kick hard," Kairi sighed. "But I have to admit, his fighting style is very intriguing. He's very agile for someone so young."

"You sound like an old man when you say it that way." Yaya said as everyone giggled causing Kairi to blush slightly.

"And nee-san, what do you think you were doing rushing at him like that?"

"He had a strange whistle that seemed to make x-eggs respond and also control them. I thought I would at least try and stop him." Yukari replied.

"So that's what that high-pitch frequency was." Miki said as Ran shuddered.

"That noise was horrible! Like nails on a chalkboard." Ran said.

Kairi was staring hard at the floor, deep in thought again. Amu noticed this and tilted her head in concern.

"Kairi, are you okay? Is your heard bothering you?"

Kairi immediately looked up at Amu and blushed before looking to the side.

"U-Um, yeah… J-Just thinking." Kairi stammered as Rima chuckled.

"Oh!" Yaya exclaimed while grabbing hold of Nagihiko's arm and pulled him towards Kairi.

"Inchou, you and Nagi have never met before, right?"

"Eh?"

"Well, without further ado… Let the Jack's chairs meet!" Yaya announced at Amu sweatdropped.

Both Nagihiko and Kairi looked at each other awkwardly before Nagihiko smiled. "Um… You're Sanjo… right?"

"Yes!" Kairi said straightening in respect. "This is indeed the first time we have met! And you are the present Jack, Fujisaki-senpai. It is very much a pleasure to meet you."

Nagihiko chuckled before leaning over to Rima and whispered, "What's with this guy's language?"

"He's always like that." Rima sighed.

Temari secretly came over to Nagihiko and whispered to him, "Nagihiko, you should respond."

Nagihiko nodded. "Well, then…"

"It's agreeable then! Allow me to be heard, good sir!"

Rima, Yaya, and Amu stared in surprise and confusion at what Nagihiko as he got down on one knee in respect.

"I am indeed the much heard Jack's chair… both name and mannerism deeply rooted in this age, I am… Nagihiko Fujisaki!" Nagihiko announced royally as Kairi stared at him blankly.

"…"

Everyone in the room stared at Nagihiko with blank expressions as a small breeze passed by through the room, making the atmosphere awkward and silent.

"Eh? Did I overdo it?" Nagihiko asked sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head.

Kairi was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable.

"Uh, Kairi…?" Amu said as Kairi's glasses suddenly flashed.

"What… **WHAT MARVELOUS STYLE OF ADDRESS! I ACKNOWLEDGE YOU!" **Kairi said in aspiration.

"I was born in Yamaguchi in the town of Bushuu, and from age eleven I was separated from my parents…" Kairi went on as Yukari slapped a hand over her face.

"There he goes."

"For such a marvelous new Jack to be here… The Guardians must be very secure!" Kairi said shaking Nagihiko's hand, whose eyes was sparkling.

"Thank you very much!"

"They've been at it for like ten minutes now…" Amu said with a sheepish smile as her charas sweatdropped, seeing the two Jacks get along quite well together.

Amu looked down at the gold mask in her hands. So many mysteries revolved around this one mask. Who is Hiroto Sateda? What are his motives? Where did he come from? What is he hiding? Why is he working for Easter? What does he really want with the Embryo?

Amu shook her head, knowing the answers weren't going to just come to her. She ran her fingers across the mask's smooth surface, outlining the strange symbols on it.

She then recalled how Hiroto had quickly covered up his face when his mask had been knocked off. 'Why did he want to hide his face? Does he have a scar or something?'

"Hey, Kairi." Amu said as Kairi looked at her while trying to hide the blush on his face.

"Y-Yes, H-Hinamori?"

"When I knocked off his mask, were you able to see his face?"

"Actually- Mmph?"

Kairi quickly covered Musashi's mouth and pushed his glasses higher up his face.

"No… He covered it before I could get a good look at him."

Amu looked from Musashi to Kairi before nodding. "Okay, never mind then."

Kairi let go of Musashi and let out a sigh as Yukari looked at her brother suspiciously.

'He's hiding something.'

"So Inchou, why are you here anyways? Didn't you go home?" Yaya asked.

"Well, Nee-san asked me to come back to help her with something. I just happened to come back when that Easter worker attacked you." Kairi said as Amu nodded. "But do you know the name of that boy?"

"His name is Hiroto Sateda and he's been secretly trained by Easter to become the perfect Embryo hunter." Amu explained.

"Hiroto, huh? I've never heard of him." Nagihiko said as he lifted his hand to his chin.

"Whoa, Amu-chi, how did you figure all that out?" Yaya asked curiously as Amu sweatdropped, realizing her mistake.

"A-Ah, well, I have my sources!" Amu said laughing nervously as everyone looked at her questionably.

'Shoot! I can't tell them that Ikuto had warned me about him!'

"No matter. This Hiroto Sateda is questionable. But is indeed a major threat," Nagihiko said. "If we want to figure out what Easter is planning, we need to first figure out who exactly Hiroto Sateda is and what he is hiding."

"But Nagi, Hiro moves too fast and likes to punch and kick! Look what he did to Inchou!" Yaya said pointing to Kairi's bruise. "Not to mention mean!"

"Let's talk more about this tomorrow, it's getting pretty late." Amu said noticing that Utau was finishing up outside.

"Mama and Papa probably want me home now." Rima said.

"Inchou, do you think you can come back to the Royal Garden tomorrow?" Yaya asked turning to Kairi who put the ice pack back to his head.

He nodded and Yaya cheered happily.

Amu smiled before looking back down at the mask in her hands.

'What was this hiding?'

* * *

"I don't understand why I have to hide my face." Hiroto said in annoyance as he placed a new golden, beak mask over his face.

Director Hoshina folded his hands over his desk and sighed. "It's complicated. But I don't think you're ready to know the truth until after you bring me the Embryo."

"Tch! What do you mean by that?" Hiroto demanded.

"You may be most intelligent and strong, but you still need to learn more before you can take on that explanation."

Hiroto narrowed his eyes behind his mask. "… You're just afraid, aren't you?"

"I am most certainly not. Without me, you have no purpose. Unless you have forgotten that your own parents abandoned you." Director Hoshina said calmly while looking at Hiroto with cold eyes.

Hiroto gritted his teeth as the memory of him crying came to mind, calling out to his mom and dad but never got an answer.

"No matter, be more wary about your mask. I can't make you another one if you lose it this time. You're dismissed."

Hiroto frowned but bowed in respect before walking out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

As he walked down the hall, he bumped into Ikuto but roughly brushed past him, not even looking at him.

Ikuto frowned as he stopped and turned around to look at the boy, who continued walking briskly down the hall.

After he turned a corner, Sync came up to him with a dissatisfied look. "So, you didn't tell the Director that one of them might have seen your face?"

"I'll just deal with him myself later. I already put the curse slot on him, so everything will be taken cared of." Hiroto grinned.

As he said this, the symbol reappeared on Kairi's arm, sending a jolt of pain to course through his arm.

"Gah!" Kairi winced as he clutched his arm.

"Kairi! What's wrong?" Musashi asked as Yukari rushed into the room upon hearing Kairi's cry of distress.

"Kairi, are you all right? What's wrong?" Yukari asked urgently coming to his side.

The symbol on Kairi's arm flashed several times as Yukari examined it.

"What is it?" Kairi asked, wincing in pain.

The symbol suddenly faded away, disappearing into his skin again as the pain subsided.

Yukari narrowed her eyes "Kairi… Why did you lie to them?"

Kairi looked up at his sister in shock. "What?"

"Why did you lie to them? I saw you; you were keeping something from them."

Kairi looked down at the ground guiltily. "I-I'm sorry."

Yukari sighed, seeing that Kairi was determined not to talk about it right now.

"Well, if it starts hurting again, tell me." Yukari said as Kairi nodded in understanding.

When she left, Musashi floated over to Kairi and gave him a skeptical look.

"Kairi, why **_did _**you lie to them about not seeing his face?"

"… I didn't want to jump to any conclusions yet," Kairi said pushing his glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose. "I want to make sure that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me."

He looked down at a piece of paper that he had scribbled down Hiroto's name on after Amu had told them.

An image of the boy's face flashed across Kairi's mind, causing him to clench his fists. 'I really hope what I saw was wrong…'

He looked hard at his arm again, feeling wary about what Hiroto Sateda had in store for him.

**To be continued…**

* * *

I really enjoyed doing this chapter and I hope you all enjoyed it as well. Please Review!


	5. Curse Slot

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara or any of the characters.**

**Chapter 5: Curse Slot**

The next day after school, the Guardians, plus Kairi, met in the Royal Garden to discuss the current situation with Hiroto Sateda.

Amu set down Hiroto's mask on the table as the charas floated up to it.

"This mask is very well crafted." Miki said sketching the design on the front in her doodle pad.

"Wow! You can actually see through the patterns on the front." Ran said looking through the mask.

"It is pretty cool." Rhythm said giving it a thumbs up.

"But why does he wear it to hide his face?" Kusukusu asked as Musashi glanced over at Kairi.

"Maybe he's an alien trying to take over the world and doesn't want anyone to know!" Yaya said as everyone stared at her blankly.

"Or maybe he was a human experiment and was genetically engineered!"

"Anyways…" Amu said rolling her eyes. "He's obviously under Easter's influence."

Nagihiko nodded. "We need to find out what Sateda is hiding and if it will help combat Easter's attempts to cause more X-eggs to form."

"Nagi, you're starting to sound like Tadase." Yaya teased as Nagihiko chuckled in embarrassment.

Amu noticed that Kairi was being pretty quite through out the meeting. He had a very serious look on his face and would once in a while glance at his right arm.

Amu remembered the injury he had on his arm and gave him a concerned look.

Yaya noticed this and smiled slyly. "Seems like Amu-chi's leaning more towards Inchou with Tadase-kun gone, hm?"

Kairi immediately looked up and blushed as did Amu.

"Wait… Where is the King? I noticed he wasn't at the concert either. Is he sick?" Kairi asked as everyone's expressions turned sad and troubled.

Kairi looked at them worriedly as Amu looked down at her hands folded in her lap.

"I'm not surprised you didn't know about it, Sanjo-kun, but…" Nagihiko said before explaining the situation regarding Tadase's injury and disappearance.

Kairi's expression turned hard before softening his features into sympathy. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up such a subject."

Amu shook her head. "It's not your fault you didn't know."

Kairi looked at her in concern before looking away, thinking about his lie to the Guardians.

"So… How are we going to get answers out of Hiro? He's obviously not going to tell us straight out. He wouldn't even tell us his name." Yaya said trying to change the subject.

"We'll probably need to capture him somehow and then interrogate him." Nagihiko said.

"But how do we do that? He can easily overpower us." Ran said.

"We'll have to set a trap of some sort." Miki said as she drew out some rough drafts.

"But first we need to lure him out." Rima added.

"But how would we do that? He appears so randomly." Amu said.

"He's only appeared to us a couple of time so we aren't too familiar with his appearance patterns," Nagihiko said. "He's searching for the Embryo, correct? Well, if he's searching for it, then he'll probably appear in places where lots of people will gather in one area."

"But what kind of events can we do to gather a lot of people?" Amu asked as Kairi's glasses flashed when he pushed them higher onto his face.

"You are graduating in a few days, am I correct?"

Amu nodded.

"It could be possible that he may appear then. If I'm right, we'll have to get ready."

Everyone nodded before starting their discussion on how to trap Hiroto.

As they discussed the plan, they failed to notice a small glint coming from the shadows of the Royal Garden.

Kairi suddenly winced slightly but was able to suppress it as he grasped his arm.

He darted his eyes around warily but saw nothing out of the familiar.

"…"

* * *

Amu's footsteps echoed as she walked down the empty street towards home.

She was determined to bring Hiroto down after all the insults he had thrown at them.

Amu couldn't shake the feeling that something would go wrong, though she secretly hoped it wouldn't.

"Amu-chan, are you okay?" Ran asked in concern.

"I'm not sure. I guess I'm just kind of nervous. And it's going to happen on graduation too. I just hope the plan works so we can put a stop to Hiroto once and for all." Amu said.

"Hmph. So you really want to get rid of me that badly, huh?"

Amu gasped as Hiroto suddenly appeared in front of her in a flash of movement, his mouth curved upwards in a crooked smile.

Amu immediately jumped back and glared at him.

"Ran!" Amu called.

"Right!" Amu said as they were about to perform a Character Transformation.

"Don't bother," Hiroto smirked as he put a hand on his hip. "I defeated all of you, Guardians with ease. What makes you think you can take me on with absolutely no one around?"

Amu glared at Hiroto but knew he was right. If she were to face him now, she'd lose for sure.

"W-What do you want?"

"I just wanted to talk and say hi, if that's so wrong." Hiroto said with a mocking grin.

Amu remained silent as Hiroto took a few steps towards her.

Before Amu could react, Hiroto grabbed her wrist so she couldn't get away and gently raised his other hand to her chin, raising her face to look at his masked one.

"Amu-chan!" her charas cried as Amu's eyes trembled in fear.

Hiroto grinned at her expression as he ran his thumb over Amu's lower lip and cracked a grin at her horrified expression.

"Are you afraid?" Hiroto whispered mockingly as he brought his face closer towards Amu's. "Because you look cute when you're afraid."

Amu shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to see what he would do to her.

Just as their faces were only centimeters apart, Hiroto suddenly jerked away from her, releasing her from his grip and brought up his hands to his head in pain.

(Note: Hiroto doesn't like Amu; he was just trying to intimidate her)

"Gah! Not again!" Hiroto cried as he stumbled a few steps back.

"Hey, calm down. It'll pass." Sync instructed as he floated to Hiroto's side.

Amu looked at Hiroto with a mixture of confusion and relief. She was holding her hand to her chest, breathing heavily from anxiety as her face was flushed red.

'Was he going to…?' Amu wondered but was cut off when Hiroto collapsed to his knees in pain.

This happened during their first encounter and the pain made him pass out.

Ikuto had mentioned that he had a case of migraine attacks that apparently came on without any reason.

Amu realized that both times the migraines attacked, Hiroto was always close to her somehow.

'But why…?' Amu said to herself as Hiroto's breathing became rigid as the headache threatened to knock him unconscious.

Letting her more compassionate side take over, Amu cautiously approached him.

"Amu-chan!" Miki cried.

"Be careful, desu!" Su said in concern.

Amu crouched down in front of him as he slowly looked up at her while wincing.

He narrowed his eyes from under his mask as he let out a growl of frustration.

"Go on, get rid of me." Hiroto said as Amu widened her eyes in surprise.

"What?"

"You said you wanted to get rid of me. So here's your chance. Probably the best chance you have to defeating me," Hiroto then smirked. "Unless you really **_are _**afraid."

Amu stared at him intently for a mew moments before standing up.

"No."

Hiroto widened his eyes in shock as Amu's fists started shaking beside her.

"Maybe I am afraid of you, but I won't attack you while you're down. It just wouldn't be right…"

Hiroto was silent for a moment before laughing hysterically.

"You are such a naïve fool."

He slowly stood up, apparently recovered from his initial headache.

"When in battle, you show no mercy to your opponents. If you pass up a chance to take out your enemy…"

Hiroto suddenly disappeared in a flash of movement as Amu let out a gasp.

"… It may come back to haunt you."

Amu whirled around and fell on her butt before backing away quickly when Hiroto suddenly came up behind her.

Hiroto smirked at her reaction as Amu glared at him again.

'He's toying with me!'

"Who do you guys think you are?" Ran demanded floating over to Sync along with Miki and Su.

"Why are you guys always attacking us?" Miki demanded.

"Physically and verbally, desu!" Su added.

Sync narrowed his eyes before putting his hands on his hips. "We just do what we are ordered to do. We don't have any other purpose."

Amu widened her eyes in shock as she looked over at Hiroto, who was looking to the side, his mouth formed in a firm line.

"That's right. I'm nothing more but a mere tool. Once my usefulness has ended, I'll be thrown away."

Hiroto clenched his fists while gritting his teeth.

"I had nothing… Easter is all I have. My life had no purpose before."

He turned towards Amu with an angry expression that burned through his mask.

"In Easter I have a purpose. And I refused to let you are anyone else take that away from me!" Hiroto shouted before waving his hand in front of him, sending a strong gust of wind at Amu.

Amu shielded herself with her arms as the wind violently blew past her, nearly knocking her off her feet.

Her charas hung onto her as best as they could as the wind threatened to blow them away.

When the wind died down, Amu glanced back up and saw that Hiroto had disappeared.

"What was all that about?" Miki said crossing her arms over her chest as a gently breeze blew through Amu's light pink hair.

"It sounds like Easter has twisted him in a way to make him think that his only purpose is to serve them, desu." Su said sadly.

Amu's expression saddened, thinking back to the amount of emotion in Hiroto's voice when he yelled at her.

'Does he really think he has no other purpose than to serve Easter? He must have lived such a harsh and lonely life…'

* * *

Hiroto ran a hand through his spiky hair in frustration. He couldn't understand why that Hinamori girl didn't go ahead and get rid of him while he was in a weakened state. He was almost hoping to escape from this pathetic life that was forced upon him.

Thoughts whirled through his head as he walked along a catwalk as the sun sat behind him.

Easter had told him that he is to show no mercy to his opponents because it is a sign of weakness. Hiroto refused to go back to the time when he was helpless and weak.

'Is everything I know a lie?'

"The next battle, enough toying with them. Show no mercy." Sync advised while wearing a stoic expression.

Hiroto remained silent as he hopped off a catwalk he was walking along and into a dark alleyway.

"Hey kid."

Hiroto stopped as he heard several footsteps coming from behind him.

He turned around slowly to see two intimidating young men, probably in their early twenties, staggering over to him with smirks on their faces.

They were dressed in baggy clothing that seemed like they haven't been washed in a while and smelled strongly of alcohol.

"What's a kid like you walking around by yourself at this time? Shouldn't you be getting home to mama?" one of the men said mockingly as he drew closer to Hiroto.

Hiroto narrowed his eyes under his mask as the other man started laughing.

"And what's with the get up? Is the circus in town or something?"

Hiroto looked at them disinterested as he noticed a glint from inside one of the man's pocket.

The two men moved closer towards him as one of them smirked, "Are you afraid?"

Hiroto was silent before flashing an evil grin. "You should be the ones who should be afraid."

"…? …"

The men stared blankly at him as Hiroto's fist starting glowing with a green light.

He suddenly lunged towards the men with amazing speed, leaving them no time to react.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A police officer was patrolling nearby and heard the cried of distress before rushing over towards the direction of the voices.

When he came to the alleyway, he was shocked to find the two men lying on the ground, beaten to a bloody pulp.

* * *

Hiroto jumped from one building to the next with a determined look on his face.

He had no injuries or tear-marks on his clothes and seemed to have defeated the men with ease.

"Better watch out Guardians, because I'm about to show you the true extent of my power."

(Day of Graduation)

Amu walked down the hallway feeling anxious about the upcoming battle.

'Today, we trap Hiroto and end this once and fore all. I have to give it my all.' Amu said to herself confidently before softening her expression.

'But… Something tells me that he's not all bad… He's just confused and lost.'

Students filed into the auditorium, the graduating students sitting up in the front rows.

Amu nervously glanced from side-to-side anticipating when Hiroto would strike as the students carried conversation excitedly around her.

Nagihiko was standing by one of the doorways, holding the speech that Tadase would have read as the King's chair if he were still there.

Rima came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Kairi is set on the roof watching for any sign of Hiroto." Rima said as Nagihiko nodded.

Nagihiko looked over to the side with a worried look on his face as Rima looked at him in concern.

"What's wrong?"

Nagihiko's eyes narrowed slightly. "I just hope everything turns out okay, that's all."

After a while, Tsukasa came to the podium on the stage and opened up with the Graduation ceremony with congratulations and thanks for all the memories.

The auditorium erupted in applause as students cheered and whistled enthusiastically.

Nagihiko then took the podium and read the speech of good luck to the graduating students and also said his own farewell address to the school.

Amu watched him sadly, thinking of Tadase again but clapped wholeheartedly when Nagihiko was done.

One by one, the graduating students came up to the stage to accept their diplomas of congratulations.

As Nagihiko went up to receive his diploma, all the girls screamed and cried as he accepted his diploma before taking one final bow as a Guardian and walked off the stage with a sweatdrop.

The same thing happened with Rima except it was the boys though some girls did applaud her as well.

When it was Amu's turn, the whole auditorium erupted in applause and shouts of good luck.

"HINAMORI-SENPAI!" Suzuki cried while waving a banner of good luck to Amu with tears streaming down his face.

Amu sweatdropped but smiled as she went on stage to accept her diploma of congrats.

Up on the roof of the school, Kairi was keeping a sharp look out for any sign of the masked boy.

"Everything looks clear." Musashi said floating over to Kairi.

Kairi frowned slightly while looking towards the horizon.

"What if I'm wrong? What if he doesn't come?"

Musashi shook his head. "Don't lose hope. He'll come, just wait."

Kairi sighed while pushing up his glasses, causing them to flash from the light.

Suddenly, a jolt of pain went coursing through Kairi's arm.

"AH!" Kairi cried as he gripped his arm in pain.

"Kairi, what's wrong?" Musashi said urgently as he saw the strange symbol on Kairi's arm reappear and seemed to be pulsing stronger with dark energy brimming from it.

"Kairi!"

Kairi collapsed to his knees while clutching his arm as he started panting, feeling his whole body heat-up and the air forcefully pushed out of him as if someone had punched him.

'What is this pain…? What did he do to me?'

Kairi suddenly stopped writhing as his eyes turned to a dull grayish blue, giving him a blank look.

"Kairi? W-What's going on?" Musashi asked as Kairi slowly stood up and slowly looked over at him with dead-like eyes.

* * *

After the graduation ceremony, everyone was hugging and wishing each other good luck as they move on to middle school next school year.

"WAAAHHHHH!" Yaya cried with baby tears streaming down her face.

"WHY DO YOU GUYS HAVE TO LEAVE?"

Everyone sweatdropped as Rima heaved a sigh.

Nagihiko's phone suddenly started vibrating and he quickly reached down and brought the phone up to his ear.

"Hai? …Alright."

Nagihiko snapped his cell phone shut and looked over at Amu and nodded.

"He's here."

Amu, Rima, and Yaya nodded before they quickly rushed out of the auditorium without causing a scene or with anyone noticing.

"Good luck, Amu." Rima said as she and Yaya rushed down the hall as Amu and Nagihiko rushed down the other.

They came to a door leading the top of the building where Kairi should be posing as a distraction and rushed up the stairs leading to the roof.

Amu could feel her heartbeat quicken with each step closer to the roof. Though she was confident that the plan would work, she couldn't help but feel like something may go wrong.

She and Nagihiko quickly chara transformed into Amulet Heart and Beat Jumper and slowed their pace as they neared the top of the stairway.

Everything was completely silent and all that could be heard were the echoes of their pounding footsteps.

'Something's not right… Why is it so quiet?' Amu said to herself.

_"Kairi should be battling with Hiroto. I wonder if he's all right." _Ran said in concern also heeding the unsuspecting silence.

Amu and Nagihiko stopped at the top of the steps and Nagihiko cautiously opened the door.

Amu peered from the door and saw Kairi standing with his back facing them in Chara Nari, his swords ready by his sides.

There was no sign of Hiroto, which confused Amu.

'Didn't he call Nagihiko to inform us he was here?'

"Kairi? Where is he?" Amu called coming out from behind the door.

Kairi whirled around, looked at them with a dull and blank look in his eyes.

"Sanjo-kun?" Nagihiko said sensing something was wrong.

Kairi got into a fighting stance, pointing his blades at Nagihiko and Amu causing them to flinch.

"Kairi-" Amu was cut off when Kairi lunged at them, swinging his swords fiercely at them.

Both of them jumped out of the way of the attack and looked at Kairi in shock.

"Kairi, what are you doing?" Amu cried as Kairi didn't reply and sent a Lightning Blade at her.

"Amu-chan!" Nagihiko cried as rushed over to Amu and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her out of the way just before the attack struck the ground where she once stood.

"Are you okay?" Nagihiko asked.

"Yeah, but Kairi…" Amu said worriedly as Kairi stared at them with a fierce yet determined look.

"Why is Kairi doing this?"

Nagihiko narrowed his eyes and looked hard at Kairi's eyes.

He noticed their dull color and that they weren't sharp and focused like they were when he first me him.

"He's being controlled by something." Nagihiko realized.

"Controlled?" Amu said looking at Kairi again.

Kairi lunged towards them again, bringing his swords out in front of him.

"Beat Shoot!" Nagihiko cried as he sent several blue energy balls shooting at Kairi.

Kairi brought his swords in front of him, blocking Nagihiko's attack.

"How do you like my little farewell gift, Guardians?"

Amu and Nagihiko whirled around to see Hiroto standing on top of the doorway, his usual smirk replaced by a firm line.

"What did you do to Kairi?" Amu demanded as Hiroto crossed his arms over his chest.

"In our first battle, I put a curse slot on him because he posed quite a threat, unlike you. I decided to leave you with a parting gift for your graduation." Hiroto said without a hint of emotion in his voice, sending a shiver to run down Amu's spine.

'He sounds awfully serious this time… Not like his usual mocking tone.' Amu realized while taking a step back.

"And here's the thing, a Curse Slot doesn't control the victim, it has them act on subconscious feelings." Hiroto explained.

Amu narrowed her eyes at him. 'What is he aiming at?'

"So in other words, deep down, your friend over there really does want to hurt you!"

Amu widened her eyes in shock as did Nagihiko as she looked over at Kairi in disbelief.

"No… Kairi wouldn't…"

Kairi continued staring at her with dead eyes before lunging towards them once more.

Hiroto watched as Amu and Nagihiko dodged Kairi's attacks but refusing to counter.

He tilted his head up, revealing a narrowed eye underneath the shadow of his mask.

"No more mercy…!"

**To be continued...**

* * *

The final battle between the Guardians and Hiroto has commenced! I'm really excited about the next chapter so leave me some good feedback if you want it up soon! I actually don't know what the Guardians planned for Hiroto so now that Kairi is going against them, they'll have to improvise. Hope you enjoyed, please review!


	6. The Wild Tempest

This is probably the most exciting chapter I've posted for this story yet! Just to warn you, there is a GIANT cliffhanger at the end. I thought it'd be fair to warn you, but enjoy nevertheless!

**Disclaimer: I own none of these characters**

**Chapter 6: The Wild Tempest**

Kairi swung his lightning fast attacks at Amu, who desperately did her best to evade them.

One of Kairi's attacks hit the ground in front of her causing Amu to stumble backwards.

Kairi saw his chance and swung down at Amu.

"Amu-chan!" Nagihiko cried.

Amu brought up her Heart Rod, blocking Kairi's swords at the last second, but struggled to keep it raised.

_"Amu-chan!" _Ran cried as Amu started wincing and her arms started shaking out of exhaustion.

Hiroto eyed Amu disinterestedly as Kairi pushed down harder on Amu's Heart Rod, causing a bead of sweat to streak down the side of Amu's face.

She slowly looked up at him, looking straight into his cold, dead eyes.

"Kairi… You don't really want to hurt us… do you?"

Nagihiko rushed forward and used Beat Dunk, causing Kairi to jump out of the way.

Amu collapsed to the ground as she let her arms fall to her side, her Heart Rod falling to the ground with a loud clack.

She took a few deep breaths of air from exhaustion and feeling like she was almost killed in some way.

Nagihiko came over to her and helped her back up onto her feet.

Kairi narrowed his eyes as he pointed his swords out in front of him.

"This can't be happening… Kairi…why is he attacking us?" Amu asked unable to believe that Kairi would actually **_want _**to hurt them as Nagihiko analyzed the situation.

"We'll find out about that later but for now…" Nagihiko glanced over at Hiroto who was watching them intently before turning his gaze back on Kairi.

"Though Sanjo-kun may be reacting on subconscious feelings, he is still under Hiroto's influence. So we'll have to deal with Hiroto as well."

"But how?"

Nagihiko came over and whispered a plan to Amu as Hiroto lifted an eyebrow from under his mask.

Amu was hesitant at first but nodded before jumping up over to Hiroto, much to his surprise while Nagihiko shot a Blaze shoot at Kairi.

Amu threw her Heart Rod at Hiroto, who merely dodged it by tilting his head.

"Is this someone's idea of a joke?" Hiroto said before ducking as Amu's Heart Rod came back to her like a boomerang.

Amu swung her Heart Rod at his head, but he ducked again and jumped out of the way of her following attack.

Hiroto then lunged towards Amu and knocked Amu's Heart Rod out of her hand with his own.

Amu stumbled backwards while holding her wrist as Hiroto slowly walked towards her.

He quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist, preventing her from escaping.

He then forced her to look at him. "You've got guts, but you're still a fool."

Amu glared defiantly at him but gasped when he raised a glove fist to strike her.

"Rima-chan, Yaya-chan, NOW!"

"!"

Hiroto looked to the side and was shocked to see Kairi bound by tightrope and little rubber duckies holding the ends of the tightrope, tightening the hold on Kairi.

While Hiroto was distracted, his influence on Kairi had faltered slightly, giving the Guardians their chance to capture him.

A look of rage appeared on Kairi's face as he struggled to break free from the rope's hold.

"You-!" Hiroto was cut off when Amu kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him briefly.

Hiroto stumbled a few feet back and a sudden snap sounded as Kairi suddenly stopped struggling and fell limb, dropping his head like a puppet whose strings were cut. The glow from the symbol on his arm disappeared once again into his skin.

"Good job, Rima-chan, Yaya-chan!" Nagihiko called over his shoulder as Yaya and Rima jumped up onto the roof from the side in their Chara Transformations.

"Inchou! Inchou!" Yaya cried as she rushed to Kairi's side.

She started shaking him by the shoulders, calling out his name and pleading for him to wake up.

After a while, Kairi winced and slowly opened his eyes. It took him a while to adjust and saw Yaya with a deep look of concern on her face.

"Inchou!"

"… Ace?" Kairi said meekly as the rubber ducks let go of the tightrope, releasing Kairi from the binding.

The ropes fell down to the ground as Kairi looked around confused.

"W-What happened…? The last thing I remember…" Kairi paused when he saw a few tears escape Yaya's eyes.

Yaya suddenly started balling, causing Kairi to flinch.

"H-Hey! I-I didn't do anything to hurt you… did I?" Kairi said but before he could be answered, Yaya launched herself at him and hugged him around the waist while crying like her baby character.

"WAAAHHHH! Thank goodness you're okay!"

Kairi looked down at her in surprise before letting out a sigh and patted her on the back while giving her a small smile.

"Arigatoh."

Hiroto coughed a few times, recovering from Amu's initial attack, before he shot his hand up towards Amu and grabbed her around the throat.

Amu let out a cry as she tried to pry Hiroto's hand off from around her neck.

_"AMU-CHAN!" _Ran cried as Amu let out a few choking sounds.

Hiroto's grip tightened around her neck as Amu felt the air being forcefully squeezed out of her.

"LET HER GO!" Rima cried as she and Nagihiko rushed towards them.

Hiroto glanced over at them as he raised his free hand and shot a powerful burst of wind at them, sending both of them flying.

He turned his attention back to Amu as she started wheezing, desperate for air.

"Didn't I warn you that if you show your enemy mercy, it'll come back to haunt you?" Hiroto said darkly without a hint of humor or mockery in his voice.

He was no longer toying with them, causing fear to grip Amu's heart as she closed her eyes as her eyelids started trembling, feeling the last bit of air being pushed out of her.

Just as Amu was about go unconscious, Hiroto suddenly released his hold on Amu, allowing her lungs to be replenished with air.

Amu fell to her knees while coughing vigorously as she rubbed her bruised neck.

Hiroto staggered backwards while clutching his head in pain cursing.

"Why…? Why is… this…?" Hiroto gritted his teeth as he tried to fight off the unbearable pain that was coursing through his head.

_"Amu-chan, are you all right?" _Ran cried as Amu coughed a few more times.

"Yeah…" Amu said meekly as she looked over at Hiroto who was still experiencing one of his headaches.

Hiroto didn't understand. He would only get headaches as severe as this whenever he was close or close to hurting Amu. It was like a voice in the back of his head was commanding him to stop like some kind of conscience. He hated that voice.

He grinded his teeth together as he felt like volts of electricity were coursing through his head, threatening to split his head open.

He hated this. He felt so weak and pathetic in this state, like when he first woke up…

Amu rose to her feet and looked over at Hiroto warily.

"Get… away… from me…" Hiroto growled as Amu looked at him puzzled.

"What?" Amu said as she took a step closer to him.

"… I said… GET AWAY FROM ME!" Hiroto shouted as he slammed the palm of his hand onto the ground, creating vicious winds to erupt from the ground around him.

Amu gasped before being flung backwards by the force of the winds.

Luckily, Nagihiko had gotten back up and rushed up behind her, catching her before she hit the ground.

"Thank you." Amu said as Nagihiko nodded before looking back up at Hiroto, who was standing on top of the door passageway, his lips curved back in a snarl.

"I've had just about enough of you all!" Hiroto growled as he slammed his hands together, causing the ground to shake. "I may be a nobody, but you haven't seen the true extent of my abilities,"

The Guardians nearly lost their balance from the sudden quake before looking up at Hiroto, wondering just how much power he actually possessed and if they actually had a chance to defeat him now.

"You are about to find out as I unleash my full power! This world isn't big enough for us all. Prepare to meet your doom!"

Sync hovered above him as he went back into his egg, which had the same pattern as Hiroto's mask and was absorbed into Hiroto's body.

A blinding flash enveloped the area as Hiroto's voice echoed through the area.

"My heart unlock! Character Transformation: Wild Tempest!"

Hiroto burst through the ball of light, revealing a different outfit from the one he had. Though he still had his signature beak mask, it was now a dark metallic color and white symbols. He now had several metal plates covering his chest and wore a white piece of armor on his left shoulder. His arms were wrapped with bandages and two ragged cloths fluttered behind him. He wore golden, diamond tipped boots that looked like bird talons. One of his arms was armed with a dark metal claw, which glistened sharply in the sunlight.

Hiroto's whole body was suddenly engulfed in flames as he shot towards the Guardians in a swirling vortex of fire.

"Cyclone Blaze!"

Everyone darted out of the way, feeling the heat flicker from his attack as he left a scorch mark on the roof.

Hiroto landed back on the ground as the flames disappeared in an instant before he lunged towards Yaya and Kairi.

"Duckies Scramble, go, go: Shield!" Yaya commanded as her rubber duckies flew forward and created a shield in front of her and Kairi with their bodies.

"Your wimpy little ducks aren't going to stop me!" Hiroto shouted as his metal fist started glowing with a golden light.

"Stone Dragon Ascent!" Pillars of craggy rock came shooting out of the ground from underneath Yaya's duckie shield, sending them flying a part.

"Thunder Blade!" Hiroto commanded as he pointed his arm towards them and sent a giant spear of lightning careening down towards Kairi and Yaya.

"Lighting Blade!" Kairi cried as he sent a powerful wave of energy from his swords.

Both attacks collided with each other, causing a giant explosion to erupt.

"Juggling Party!" Rima cried while sending bowling pin missiles at Hiroto.

Hiroto backflipped several times as each missile hit the ground where he once stood.

Nagihiko rushed towards him charging one of his attacks as Hiroto's body started glowing with a green light.

"Take this, Harrowing Gale!" Hiroto cried as he started delivering powerful punches simultaneously in one swift motion.

Each blow dealt a lot of damage as Nagihiko struggled to hold on.

Hiroto's movements were rapid and skilled, seemingly to flow in a steady rhythm.

Hiroto didn't give Nagihiko any time to react or counter before winding up his arm to deal the final blow.

"Hah!" Hiroto cried as he struck down Nagihiko in one final punch, sending him crashing to the ground.

The force of the attack forced Nagihiko out of his Chara Transformation and knocked him unconscious.

"Nagihiko!" Amu cried as Hiroto stood over him while panting slightly.

Hiding in the bushes down below, Tsukumo, Manta, and Chichimura were watching the intense battle.

"Whoa, that kid sure is showing them a beating." Manta said in awe.

"Shut up! This is not the time to be impressed! We have to find out how we can outdo that punk brat and find the Embryo before him!" Tsukumo said while watching the battle through a pair of binoculars.

"But how? We're obviously outmatched by the likes of him." Chichimura said.

"Shh!" Tsukumo hissed as he continued watching as Manta and Chichimura sighed.

"He just doesn't want to admit that a kid is better than us." Manta said quietly.

"Tightrope Dancer!" Rima cried as she sent her tightrope at Hiroto.

It seemed faster and was sent with much more force than before as it wound its way around Hiroto's armored arm.

Rima tugged Hiroto away from Nagihiko as he staggered slightly, caught off guard.

"Spiral Heart!" Amu cried as she sent her Heart Rod flying at Hiroto.

Since Hiroto was tied down by Rima's tightrope, his movement was limited so he lifted his arm and created a glowing green shield and let Amu's attack strike him.

An explosion erupted when Amu's Heart Rod struck his shield.

When the explosion died down, Kairi suddenly appeared in front of Hiroto and slashed at him with a powerful and swift swing of his sword.

Hiroto managed to back away from the brunt of the attack but Kairi still managed to graze him, leaving a tear on the front of his clothing just above his breastplate.

"Tch!" Hiroto grunted in annoyance before grabbing hold of Rima's tightrope with his other arm.

He pulled the tightrope with one strong tug, causing Rima to fall towards him and then started swinging the rope over him, causing Rima to slam into Kairi and lose her grip on the tightrope.

Hiroto unwound the rope off his arm before spotting Amu and Yaya sending their attacks at him from the corner of his eye.

He quickly jumped into the air, avoiding both attacks and over towards Amu.

Still suspended in mid-air, Hiroto wound up his leg for a powerful kick.

Amu blocked it with her pom-poms as Kairi lunged at him again.

Hiroto blocked it by creating a small shield on his arm once more before flipping onto his hands and spun around on his hands, knocking both Kairi and Amu away.

Hiroto's mind raced with anger and rage, all he could think about was preventing the Guardians from getting in his line of duty anymore.

He admired their persistence but also found it foolish at this point. At this moment, he absolutely hated them. They threatened to take away all he ever knew, all he's ever had. He absolutely refused to let that happen. He had no life for as far as he could remember and it was Easter who had pulled him out of the darkness and gave him a purpose, took him in when no one had for as far as he knew. He couldn't think straight; his mind was too consumed with rage. Whatever was his was his and he refused to let anyone take that away from him.

Hiroto slammed his hand onto the ground as vicious winds erupted from the ground once more, threatening to blow the Guardians off the roof.

"This ends now! Akashic Torment!" Hiroto cried as he unleashed a violent storm of wind, whipping past the Guardians and dealing heavy damage.

The Guardians were swept off their feet as sharp winds pounded against their bodies.

"AAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"No! Amu-chan!" Miki cried from the sidelines.

"Everyone!" Su cried in horror.

Once the attack ended, the Guardians collapsed to the ground with a loud thud.

Yaya, Kairi, and Rima struggled to get back up, but collapsed back onto the ground, breaking out of their Character Transformations.

Amu winced as she pushed down on her arms, trying to force herself up but couldn't muster enough energy to do so.

Hiroto stomped his foot victoriously on the ground as Amu struggled to look up at him while attempting to glare at him.

"You *pant* lost." Hiroto said pausing for a breath.

He slowly strode over to the fallen Amu, his footsteps echoing with each step.

Amu tried once more to get back up to face him, but collapsed back onto the ground, breaking out of her Chara Transformation.

'This can't be the end… It just can't!'

Tsukumo put down his binoculars wide-eyed.

"H-He defeated all of them…" Manta said in disbelief.

Chichimura looked away, not wanting to see what fait would befall them.

Each step that Hiroto took caused Amu's heart to pound faster and faster.

"Amu-chan!"

Ran, Miki, and Su quickly got in front of Amu, spreading their arms apart to create a shield with their bodies.

Hiroto paused and looked down at them in annoyance.

"Do you really think you can stop me?" Hiroto asked gruffly.

Ran, Miki, and Su just glared at him determinedly, not moving from where they stood.

"You guys…" Amu started but let out a cough as exhaustion hit her.

"Hmph." Hiroto grunted before sweeping the three charas out of the way with his claw, sending them crashing to the ground.

"Guys!" Amu cried as her charas lay injured on the ground.

Amu's eyes trembled with hurt. They really were her Guardians; protecting her even if they got hurt in the process.

But now, it was Amu's turn to protect them.

Finding newfound strength, Amu pushed herself off the ground. Though she faltered slightly, she got her bearings and faced Hiroto in determination.

Hiroto was slightly surprised at how quickly Amu had recovered but quickly replaced it with a frown.

'I won't back down… I have to stop him!' Amu told herself while staring intently at Hiroto.

"I don't understand you… I don't know what you've gone through… and you're filled with such anger for someone my age…" Amu said slowly.

Amu closed her eyes, thinking about all the hurtful things Hiroto had done to them.

'But even so, underneath it all, he's still a person, a confused, lost little boy. I want…'

Amu's eyes snapped open and gave Hiroto a strong, determined gaze.

"I want to be able to help you smile!" Amu said whole-heartedly.

Hiroto was taken aback by her words as he widened his eyes in shock.

No one had ever said those words to him before. The only words that were spoken to him were commands. Commands that must be carried out without complaints or disagreement. During his trainings, "kind" words were never spoken, only with venom and harshness. No one cared about his feelings or his thoughts, just as long as he carried out his orders without question.

For as long as he could remember, he was labeled as a nobody. Nobody cared about him or considered him important. For as far as he knew, he was only a tool, a tool for Easter to use, brought up out of pity. Once he outlives his usefulness, there was no doubt in his mind that he would be abandoned again. This was the idea that he had been brought up from. The only one he could depend on was himself. The only one he cared about was himself. No one else mattered because no one else cared, until this pink-haired little girl told him she wanted to "help" him.

Smile…? The closest thing he ever managed to a smile was a smirk, which was done not out of happiness, but of mockery and pride.

Hiroto didn't understand the concept of "happiness". His life revolved around anger and to carry out orders without question.

Hiroto cracked a grin before laughing hysterically causing Amu to flinch.

"Such naïve words, but I guess that is to be expected from a pathetic little girl who has had nothing but 'happiness' in her own life."

Amu widened her eyes in shock before looking down at the ground, softening her expression.

"You're right… I don't know the kind of pain you have gone through, but…"

Amu looked back up at Hiroto, determination sparkling in her golden eyes. "I want to help you find out what being happy feels like! You have a purpose besides serving Easter! You just have to take the time to look around!"

"I've had just about enough of your senseless babbling! You have absolutely no idea how to relate to me!" Hiroto shouted while swinging his arms violently.

"Waking up broken… Waking up to find only a dark hole… Waking up to find out you've been abandoned!"

Amu looked at him sympathetically as Hiroto shook his head vigorously.

Hiroto rejected all Amu's attempts to reach out to him, there was just no reasoning with him.

'If I want to reach out to him… I have to show him I care!' Amu said to herself when suddenly a blinding light surrounded her.

Hiroto shielded his eyes as the ball of light expanded, lighting up the entire area.

Inside the ball of light, a familiar yellow egg opened up in front of Amu, revealing a small golden-eyed chibi with long orange pigtails with a diamond-shaped clip.

"Hello again, Amu-chan." Dia said with a sweet smile as a bright smile appeared on Amu's face.

"Dia!" Amu cried happily.

"Your heart shines ever bright even for your enemies. That in itself is something to look up to." Dia said placing her tiny hands over her heart.

"I'm sure you'll be able to open up his heart, Amu."

Amu nodded enthusiastically as Dia was absorbed into her body.

"Character Transformation: Amulet Diamond!" Amu cried as the ball of light surrounding her burst, revealing her Character Transformation.

Hiroto widened his eyes from under his mask before gritting his teeth.

"I see, so you have one final trick up your sleeve, huh? Well fine!" Hiroto lunged towards Amu using his amazing speed, which was increased due to the Character Transformation as his body became consumed with flames.

"Cyclone Blaze!"

"Twinkle Shield!" Amu cried as a shield made of sparkling stars covered her.

Hiroto slammed into Amu's shield, wincing as he was forced back, breaking his attack.

Hiroto flipped back onto his feet but collapsed onto his knees as he put one hand on the ground while breathing heavily.

He felt his body slowly losing energy with each attack. He was now at his limit.

He cursed under his breath as Amu jumped towards him.

Hiroto growled in hostility as he brought up his arm and shot a powerful burst of wind from his hand.

"Shooting Star Shower!" Amu cried as she commanded star-like beams at Hiroto's attack with her microphone, negating its harmful effects.

Hiroto's eyes trembled before gritting his teeth.

"No! I refuse to go down like this!" Hiroto shouted in rage and desperation as his fist started glowing.

A sharp pain suddenly shot through his body as he was forced to cease his attack and put a hand to his head.

_"Hiroto, you've used too much energy! You're body can't take much more!" _Sync warned as Hiroto's breathing became shaky and uneven.

Hiroto cursed as a drop of blood dripped down the side of his face.

He glared up defiantly at Amu as he charged up his attack, despite Sync's warning.

His body was surrounded in green light as he shot towards Amu.

"Harrowing Gale-!"

Amu raised her globe-like microphone as it started streaming lights all around her.

"Starlight Navigation!" Amu cried as she unleashed a powerful streaming vortex of star-shaped lights at Hiroto.

Hiroto widened his eyes in disbelief as the light engulfed him, stopping his attack.

Hiroto let out a cry of, not of pain but of being overwhelmed.

His whole body felt warm and tingly and felt as if he were floating in the ocean amongst the waves. Time seemed to pause in Hiroto's mind as his eyes glazed over, his world as he knew it crumbling a part before him.

Once the light faded, Hiroto crashed to the ground, lying motionlessly on his back with his arms spread apart.

Kairi and Yaya stared in awe at what had just happened as Rima helped Nagihiko back up as he slowly regained consciousness.

Down below, Tsukumo, Manta, and Chichimura stared at the scene in awe and disbelief at how Amu had single-handedly brought down the wild tempest.

"She did it…" Kairi said in wonder and admiration as Amu settled back onto the ground.

Amu looked over at Hiroto, who was still lying on the ground.

He broke out of his Character Transformation, causing Sync to crash to the ground beside his owner as a small crack formed on Hiroto's mask.

"I'm… beaten…" Hiroto panted as Amu walked over to him.

"Hiroto…" Amu started but paused when Hiroto struggled to get back up but could only manage to get on his knees.

He looked down at the ground with an unreadable expression before he suddenly started laughing.

"Heh, heh… To think… I would be beaten… by the likes of you…" Hiroto chuckled. "… I underestimated you… My mistake…"

The crack on his mask enlarged as it slowly made its way to the edges.

Finally, his mask split in half and dropped to the ground with a sharp clang.

Amu widened her eyes in disbelief while letting a sharp gasp escape when two familiar ruby red eyes looked up at her.

"Tadase… kun…?"

**To be continued…**

* * *

And the secret has been revealed! I tried my best to make sure that there were only subtle hints that Hiroto was actually Tadase! Did I surprise anyone? I hope I did. Did I kill anyone with this cliffhanger? I hope not. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! REEEEVVVVIEEEEWWWWW!


	7. A Tempest's Heart

Things are going to be a little more toned down for a little while, I guess they need a break after all that. Please Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I own none of these characters**

**Chapter 7: A Tempest's Heart**

"T-Tadase… kun…?" Amu said in pure disbelief as the Guardians also received shocked looks on their faces.

"I-It can't be…" Rima said as Yaya rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

Kairi's expression was stoic and tilted his head towards the ground with an almost guilty look.

"Hotori-kun!" Nagihiko said in a demanding voice as he walked over behind Tadase.

"What is the meaning of this? Why are you… How could you…?"

Tadase's jaw tightened before suddenly extending his leg out and did a sweep kick right from under Nagihiko's feet, sending him crashing to the ground. (Hm, I just noticed he's been beating Nagihiko up a lot, I guess cause they're both guys… =_=)

"Tadase-kun, what are you doing?" Amu cried as Tadase shakily rose to his feet.

"Why are you calling me that?"

Amu widened her eyes as Tadase looked at her with indifference.

"I don't know anyone by that name."

Amu's eyes started trembling with emotion as she felt all her energy drain away.

"Y-You're name is Tadase-kun… How… Could you forget your own name…?" Amu said breaking out of her Chara Transformation and slowly walked towards him.

In response, Tadase started backing away from her, keeping an unreadable expression on his face as he made his way closer to the edge of the roof.

"I don't know who this 'Tadase' person is, but he's obviously not me." Tadase said narrowing his eyes slightly.

Everyone stood where they were frozen in shock except for Amu as she continued to walk towards Tadase.

Amu stopped when she noticed Tadase was getting pretty close to the edge of the building and didn't look like he was going to stop.

"Wait! Stop!" Amu cried as Tadase ignored her plea and continued walking backwards.

"I'm only here so Easter can use me," Tadase said slowly, his eyes stone cold as he stopped right at the edge of the building.

"In the end, only those of us who are useful are taken in out of pity."

He stared down at the ground before slowly looking back up at the Guardians with an intense glare.

"I've been beaten. And once beaten, I am a failure."

"No you're not-!" Amu cried as Tadase closed his eyes.

"And my usefulness has now expired." Tadase said opening his eyes, a bit sadly.

With that, Tadase spread out his arms and let himself fall backwards off the edge of the building.

Everyone gasped as Yaya ran forward towards the edge and spotted a tree directly below the roof.

Rustling was heard from the tree as several leaves fell from the tree and scattered among the ground.

Suddenly, Tadase emerged from the leafy cover and landed on his hand and knee before quickly getting up and sprinted away from the school with the remaining bit of energy he had left.

The Guardians watched as Tadase's figure disappeared into the distance, frozen in place, not knowing what to think or do at this point.

"He got away." Yaya said slowly.

Amu stared in disbelief towards where Tadase had run off to as her eyes trembled with emotion and shock.

Everything seemed to run in slow motion as soon as Hiroto's mask split, revealing his true identity.

So many questions swirled uncontrollably in her head as she felt herself get a little dizzy.

"Amu-chan!"

Amu snapped her eyes open to find Ran, Miki, and Su looking down at her with concerned expressions.

She blinked a couple of times before realizing she was lying down in a room of some sort.

"Amu-chan!" her charas cried in relief.

"W-Where am I?" Amu asked groggily as Yaya came into view with a giant smile.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake! We were so worried about you when you suddenly passed out. So we took you to the Founding King's office." Yaya said as Amu blinked a couple more time in confusion.

"I… passed out?" Amu said slowly before Tadase's face flashed in her mind.

Her eyes stretched out wide before sitting up abruptly. "Where's Tadase-kun?"

Everyone was silent as they all looked to the side, none of them having the heart to tell of Amu about Tadase or reassure her that he was in fact their enemy now.

"He ran off." Miki said sadly.

"Oh…" Amu said looking at her hands resting in her lap.

Kairi walked over to Amu and bowed with a look of guilt on his face.

"Hinamori-san, forgive me!" Kairi said as Amu looked at him puzzled.

"What for?"

"… For me attacking you." Kairi said ashamed.

Amu widened her eyes, remembering what Tadase said,

_"And here's the thing, the Curse Slot doesn't control the victim, it has them act on subconscious feelings. So in other words, deep down, your friend over there really wants to hurt you!"_

"Kairi…"

Kairi shook his head. "No… I-I…"

He sighed before dropping his head guiltily.

"Deep down, in my heart, I was jealous… I was jealous of how close you were to everyone."

Kairi looked away as Amu's expression softened.

"I know I have no good excuse for what I did, and I regret it greatly. Believe me; I am truly ashamed of my actions."

Amu shook her head. "It's all right. You were being manipulated. You wouldn't have done it if you weren't forced to."

Kairi got down on one knee and bowed his head before looking up at Amu with a smile.

"I promise you, I will never do anything to hurt you for as long as I live." Kairi said causing Amu to blush slightly.

"Boo! Now's not the time to go all mushy right now!" Yaya pouted as Kairi blushed and Rima sighed.

"I also have to apologize for lying to all of you." Kairi said standing up.

"?" Everyone looked at Kairi curiously as he looked to the side guiltily once more.

"When his mask was knocked off the first time at Utau-san's concert, I did see his face."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Nagihiko asked as Kairi pushed his glasses higher up onto his face.

"He wanted to make sure of what he saw was true before jumping to conclusions." Musashi answered.

Kairi took out a crumbled piece of paper and placed it on a nearby desk.

"What's this?" Yaya asked as Kairi sat down at the desk while pulling out a pencil.

On the piece of paper already was "Hiroto's" full name.

"What's this for? It only has his name on it." Rima stated.

Kairi nodded. "Yes, but what happens when you take the 'H' and move it to the end by the 'o'?"

Kairi wrote the new word out below it before moving on to the next.

"And then here; what word does this make when you take the "t" out and put it on the end by the 'a'? And then reorder the 'a', the 's', and the 'e'?"

Kairi wrote down the new word underneath "Hiroto's" name as Amu lifted an eyebrow while looking over Kairi's shoulder.

"Irotoh Esadat? What the heck is that suppose to mean?" Amu said puzzled.

"Read it backwards." Kairi said narrowing his eyes.

Amu read it silently to herself before widening her eyes in disbelief.

"Tadase Hotori…"

The room fell silent again as Kairi pushed his glasses higher up on his face again making the lens flash.

"I also took a little look at his hospital records. They said that he received some broken bones and a small spine fracture. But it also showed that he suffered structural damage in the brain. It's highly possible that he could be suffering from amnesia."

Nagihiko put a hand to his chin with a thoughtful expression. "It would make sense though. That would explain why he didn't recognize us or his own name. And without his memory, he would become a different person. Experiences and memories are what makes a person who they are."

Amu looked down at the ground as her eyes started trembling in emotion.

'So that's why…' Amu said to herself; realizing the reason why Tadase was acting the way he was. The reason why he had attacked them; the reason why he had almost killed Amu on several occasions.

"So it was Easter who had kidnapped him then." Rima said narrowing her eyes as Nagihiko nodded.

"And the ones who filled his head with lies…" Amu said in almost a whisper but loud enough so everyone could hear.

Everything fell into place and everything that Tadase had said before made sense.

_"Waking up broken…" _He was had several broken bones and a spinal condition.

_"Waking up only to find a dark hole…" _He had lost his memory.

_"Waking up to find that you've been abandoned!" _Everyone had given up searching for him.

Amu quickly wiped her eyes before any tears could fall, not wanting to be seen crying in front of her friends.

Her heart was filled with such grief and guilt. Tadase had gone through so much pain these past six months and they didn't even know or could have done anything about it. They had been fighting the person they missed dearly. And all of this had happened because Tadase was hit by that car instead of Amu.

And now, Tadase had become a cruel, sadistic, cocky, empty boy who thinks his life has no real meaning.

These facts stung Amu, nearly breaking her heart. Tears started falling freely down Amu's face as Yaya and Rima came over to her and hugged her comfortingly.

"Amu-chan…" Ran said sadly as Miki and Su watched as their owner tear herself apart.

Nagihiko and Kairi looked at her sympathetically as Nagihiko kneeled in front of her.

"Amu-chan, don't cry. It's not your fault that this happened. Stop blaming yourself about the inevitable. Right now, the best thing we can do for him is to help him."

Amu wiped away her tears wing her sleeve before nodding with newfound confidence.

"Right!"

Nagihiko was right, though she couldn't help Tadase in the past, she can help him now by helping him find who he really is.

'Don't worry, Tadase-kun… This time, I'll be the one who'll save you.'

* * *

"Ugh!"

Tadase collapsed onto the ground, feeling absolutely drained of all energy.

He was panting heavily as sweat beaded his forehead.

'I used too many attacks during Character Transformation…' Tadase said to himself as he struggled push himself off the ground.

He managed to get back on his feet but nearly collapsed again but caught himself and leaned against a nearby tree.

He let out a sigh before starting back down the path he had been following for about an hour or so.

"Curse those Guardians… If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be in this condition." Tadase cursed before his legs gave out and landed hard on his hands and knees.

"Hiroto, you let your anger get the best of you and I told you your body couldn't take much more attacks." Sync said in an I-told-you-so voice.

Dark clouds rolled in and thunder could be heard in the distance.

Tadase stared down at his gloved hands as he clenched the earth in between his fingers.

'Once a failure… always a failure. Easter would never accept me back after being beaten by the Guardians like everyone else.' Tadase thought to himself as he felt several raindrops hit him.

A gentle rainfall started coming down, bringing about a musty smell as Tadase continued to stare lifelessly at the ground, not moving where he was.

In a matter of seconds, the rainfall increased, soaking Tadase from head-to-toe.

'I'm a nobody… And I'll die a nobody…'

_"You have a purpose besides serving Easter!"_

Tadase flinched. Why did that Hinamori girl's words make such an impact in his mind?

He slowly stood back up, looking straight ahead dully.

"Hiroto?" Sync said in surprise.

Tadase didn't answer as Amu's words repeated themselves over and over in his head.

'Such naïve words, yet…' Tadase thought as he found himself walking forward, not knowing where his feet were taking him.

The rain pounded against him, soaking his clothes which started sticking to his skin and also was matting down his spiky hair, making it look like his original hairstyle.

He continued walking down the strange path with wavering steps, cold seeping through his body as the rain hit his bare skin on his shoulder and chest.

Sync just floated next to him, watching his every move with cold green eyes.

After a while, Tadase looked up and was surprised to see a rundown dome-like structure.

"What is this place?" Sync asked suspiciously while folding his arms over his chest.

Tadase stumbled a little bit before getting his bearings again and dragged his feet through the puddles and into the planetarium.

Once inside, Tadase collapsed onto the cold tile floor, a puddle forming underneath him.

His breathing quickened as his whole body started shivering.

He felt his fingers go numb and he could see his breath in white puffs.

He found himself in pain whenever he shivered but couldn't stop as he felt the cold take over his senses. Everything started to go hazy in Tadase's eyes when he suddenly heard footsteps approaching.

He couldn't move and could only watch as someone came over and stood right in front of him. All he could see was his shoes as his eyes slowly started to close.

"Welcome back." Was the last thing Tadase heard before darkness overtook him, leaving him confused in his unconsciousness.

* * *

Tadase's eyes opened part way before closing them again. He groaned, feeling a massive headache as he tried to open his eyes again.

"Am… I dead…?"

"We thought you were. But if you would've stayed out there any longer, you might have been." A calm voice said.

"… Who are you…?"

Tadase's eyelids were too heavy and couldn't look to see who was talking to him.

"Ah, so you don't remember anything, do you? That's too bad. Everyone would be looking forward to see you if they knew you were here. Amnesia maybe?"

Tadase grunted as the person beside him chuckled before feeling warmth fill his senses, much to his surprise.

He could feel his fingers again and was finally able to open his eyes a little. He found himself in a dark room lit up by small lights that were near the ceiling. He also noticed that he was covered in a warm blanket and was also wearing different clothes.

He wore a black long sleeve shirt with white cuffs and a white shirt underneath. He also wore a blue tie and matching checkerboard shorts.

"Good, you're awake." Sync said as Tadase looked over at him.

He then looked to his other side to see a man in his twenties, much to his surprise.

Tadase let out a small yelp before falling out of his seat and onto the floor.

"W-Who the hell are you?" Tadase demanded glaring in alarm at the man.

"My, my, you've certainly picked up a few words since you've been gone." The man said with a well-humored smile.

Tadase narrowed his eyes, looking at the man suspiciously.

"Do you know what this place is?" Tadase looked at the man sheepishly before glaring at him in annoyance.

"I suspect you don't since you've lost your memory. But this is a peculiar place. Though it has been forgotten by most, those who have doubts or are lost can still find it." The man explained while looking up at the stars of the planetarium.

Tadase glanced up at the stars as well, seeing them shimmer and sparkle.

He had to admit it was amazing, but he didn't understand what the man meant.

The man looked over at him again and smiled. "You'll find your way back, don't worry."

Tadase gritted his teeth before slowly getting back up to his feet with the help of the wall.

"You don't know anything…!" Tadase growled.

!CRASH!

The man looked over at Tadase who had punched a hole right through the window near the front doors.

His whole body was trembling with rage as he drew back his fist, which was bleeding due to the broken glass.

"Six months… Six months have passed and I remember nothing! For as far as I know, I have no where to go back to! You don't know me!" Tadase shouted, his eyes narrowed in pure rage.

The man let out a small sigh before walking over to Tadase and reached out, grabbing his hand.

Tadase flinched and tried to pull away but the man kept a firm grip on him and examined his cut. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief and wrapped Tadase's hand with it.

Tadase winced at contact but relaxed once the man was done.

He let his hand fall to his side as the man grabbed the umbrella that was leaning against the wall before looking over at Tadase again.

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you like, but you're going to get hungry sooner or later, so you may want to think about staying with someone."

Tadase narrowed his eyes again. "Why should I trust you?"

The man shrugged. "It's your choice whether to believe in someone or not. Decide for yourself whether that person is trustworthy or not."

With one final smile, the man opened up his umbrella and walked out into the rain, disappearing into the distance.

Tadase had a feeling he knew the man, but quickly pushed the feeling away as he glanced down at himself.

He couldn't help but feel awkward wearing the uniform. Not that it didn't fit him right, but it made him feel out of place. He felt like he didn't belong here… not anywhere. He was a wandering entity with no place to go to.

Sync remained silent as Tadase sat back down in one of the many seats of the Planetarium while running a hand through his dyed black hair, making it slightly spiky again.

The Planetarium was cold but protected him from the rain, which was good enough in Tadase's mind. Though he could hear the wind and rain as clear as day due to the hole he punched through the window. He still felt weak from earlier due to the Character Transformation and drew up the blanket the man had given him up to his chin.

Sync settled down next to him as Tadase closed his eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.

Tadase was both sore and exhausted, but the man's words spun around in his head, not allowing him to fall asleep just yet.

'Up to me to decide who is trustworthy, huh? How should I know…?'

_"I want to be able to help you smile!"_

"…"

Somehow, Amu's words and voice allowed him relax and eased his mind, much to his confusion. But pushed the feeling aside as he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Amu laid on her back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

So many things had happened today that it was almost impossible for her to believe it all. Especially when Hiroto turned out to be Tadase.

"I can't believe we've been fighting Tadase-kun all this time without realizing it." Amu said as each of her charas looked at her in concern.

"No one realized it, Amu-chan, (Except for the readers…)" Miki said. "He was basically not even Tadase-kun."

Amu frowned, knowing Miki was right. Without his memories, he really wasn't the Tadase they knew.

She sat up on her bed and hugged her pillow to her chest as she thought back to how "Hiroto" had attacked them and insulted them.

**_"Is that it? Is this some kind of joke? I've hardly broken a sweat! How can you call yourselves Guardians when you can't even guard yourselves against my attacks?"_**

**_"I defeated all of you, Guardians with ease. What makes you think you can take me on with absolutely no one around?"_**

**_"You are such a naïve fool."_**

**_"Such naïve words, but I guess that is to be expected from a pathetic little girl who has had nothing but 'happiness' in her own life."_**

Amu would have never expected words like those to escape Tadase's mouth. His words were filled with such venom and mockery; she didn't even recognize his voice.

But even with all the trouble he had caused them, Amu was determined to help Tadase regain his memories.

Tadase's darkened ruby eyes flashed through her mind, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

'Somehow, I think that may be easier said than done…' Amu said to herself as she looked out the screen door window to see the rain pounding against it.

The winds howled outside and rattled the house as it blew at the trees violently.

Lightning flashed and thunder crashed in the distance, lighting up the room.

The tempest winds were going wild outside, the same thing that was happening inside Tadase.

**The End... (Just Kidding! XD)**

* * *

Sorry! I just had to put that there! (Wonders what would have happened if I actually **_did _**end it like that...) Don't worry, it's not done yet. Eh... The ending seemed kind of wierd ot me, but oh well. A lot of the battle scenes and some others were inspired by episodes from **_Tales of the Abyss_** where they battle Sync several times. Yay! Breaking windows! Ehehe, sorry, in my rough draft there was no window breaking but when I thought about the idea I was like, that Planetarium better have a window somewhere. And yes, there were a couple of windows near the doors... I checked. Oh, and before I forget, I would like to thank **Himahko-Fyen**, because it was her story, **Remember**, that was also an inspiration to this story. Thankies! XD Please Review!


	8. New Feelings

Yay! I updated! Hope you all enjoy, because this chapter was a butt to make! XD

P.S. On a side-note, I've read the new Shugo Chara encore, and it was soooooo cute! And yet shocking as well. O_O (Jumping the gun, aren't you Kukai?)

_Disclaimer: Shugo Chara is owned by Peach Pit, not me. :(_

**Chapter 8: New Feelings**

After last night's storm, all the sidewalks and buildings were soaking wet and large puddles formed in the streets.

The air was musty from the previous storm as gray, threatening clouds still hung high in the sky.

Amu opened up the window screen and walked out onto her balcony and shivered when a cold breeze swept past her.

"Looks like another storm is brewing." Miki said shivering as Ran let out a sigh.

"I was hoping for a happy, sunny day today." Ran said sadly.

"We'll just have to bring an umbrella today just in case it does start raining again." Su said.

Amu let out a sigh before looking down at the ground, thinking back to the previous day where they had fought Tadase.

She still couldn't believe that all this time they've been fighting him without them even knowing it. But like Miki said, he wasn't Tadase, not without his memories.

His ruby eyes had darkened and were nearly red. His smile had been replaced by an evil smirk and his heart had rid of all compassion and gentleness, replaced with bitter cockiness and a ruthless state of mind.

The thing that stung Amu the most was that he didn't trust them or wanted anything to do with them.

Though she felt he had a right to be angry at her since she had allowed him to get hurt in her place.

'There just has to be a way to get his memories back…' Amu thought to herself while leaning against the balcony railing.

'But… Will he let me help him? Will he ever trust me again?'

Her cellphone rang suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts with a jolt.

"Hello?" Amu answered quickly as Rima's voice sounded on the other end, telling her that she and Yaya were going to go shopping and asking her if she wanted to come along.

Amu readily accepted seeing as she really couldn't do anything about Tadase since she had no idea where he had run off to.

Rima replied happily that they'll all meet up at the park at 10:30 am before hanging up.

'At least I know he's still alive…' Amu said to herself hopefully before getting up to go get ready.

* * *

"Eh-?"

!THUD!

Tadase fell out of his seat onto the hard, cold floor with a loud slam as Sync watched him with an amused look on his face.

He let out a groan as he rubbed his head in annoyance. "Ow… I definitely don't want to wake up like that every morning."

Tadase thought back to the man's words from last night, thinking he may have to find another place to stay since the Planetarium was cold and didn't have any food. Though it wasn't too far from the school, it was summer break and wouldn't be opening back up any time soon.

'But who can I trust…?' Tadase said to himself as he looked over at Sync.

Sync looked away, seemingly knowing what Tadase was thinking.

"Sync…"

Sync gave him a side glance while continuing to face forward. "Look, it's up to you to decide who to trust or not. It's not up to me to tell you right from wrong."

"…" Tadase didn't respond before his stomach let out a loud, long growl.

He let out a sigh, knowing he would have to find a way to get food sooner or later. He couldn't break into the school. A school like that would probably have some pretty decent security and he didn't want unwanted attention.

His stomach let out another cry for food as he slowly picked himself off the floor.

Tadase felt a little bit stronger after a good night's sleep, though he still felt a little tired and sore from the day previous.

"What are you planning to do?" Sync asked floating up to Tadase's side.

Tadase cracked his neck before stretching his arms over his head. A grin suddenly appeared on his face as his ruby eyes glinted darkly.

"You'll see."

* * *

"Ah! This is soooo good!" Yaya hummed happily while licking her chocolate frozen yogurt merrily.

Rima nodded in agreement as Amu happily ate her frozen yogurt with a content expression.

Ran, Miki, Su, Pepe, and Kusukusu also got a little of their own and were eating their frozen yogurt with happy expressions.

The three girls had decided to go to the shopping district to do their little window shopping and had gotten themselves a cool treat.

"Here's to the first day of summer break!" Yaya announced happily while raising her frozen yogurt up in the air.

"YEAH!" Everyone cheered.

A sudden surprised cry interrupted their little celebration as they looked over to see a teenage girl glaring daggers at a teenage boy, most likely her boyfriend, who had a frightened expression on his face.

"You pig! How could you eat them both!" the girl shouted as the boy held up his hands in defense.

"I-I didn't! I swear, I just put the sandwiches down for a few seconds and the next thing I know they were gone!" the boy cried.

Amu winced when the girl slapped the boy before she stormed off, leaving a hurt and confused boy behind.

"Well, that was rude, eating both their shares. What a way to ruin a date." Yaya said.

"He said he didn't though." Amu said as she, Rima, and Yaya walked away from the scene.

As they continued on their way, Amu noticed a woman looking around as if she had lost something. She was standing near a table with a purse on top as she looked around with a puzzled and worried expression.

"I could have sworn I set my salad here…" the woman said to herself, catching Amu's interest.

"Oh, it looks like she's missing something too." Rima said as Yaya nodded, realizing what that boy back there said was true.

Not too far away, Amu noticed a little boy crying to his mother about something. Amu walked a little closer to find that someone had taken the little boy's taiyaki away from him.

"Looks like someone is going around stealing food." Miki said thoughtfully as Amu nodded.

"Better watch your frozen yogurt, desu." Su warned.

As if on cue, someone suddenly ran into Amu, nearly knocking her to the ground.

"Hey!" Amu shouted, seeing a boy in their school uniform run off without turning back to acknowledge her.

"Amu-chan!" Ran cried as Amu looked over at her. "Your frozen yogurt!"

Amu stiffened before looking down at her hand to see it was indeed missing.

"That boy…"

"Must be the culprit who is taking everyone's food." Miki finished as Amu grunted in annoyance before rushing off after him.

"Amu-chi?" Yaya called after her.  
"Amu?" Rima called after her.

The boy glanced over his shoulder, his bangs covering his eyes, and smirked before darting into a crowd of people.

"Ah!" Amu cried before coming to a halt, losing the boy in the crowd.

"Shoot!" Amu cursed before charging through the crowd after the boy.

She had lost her charas in the crowd, though she could hear them calling out to her not too far away, but she was determined to find and catch the boy who would dare interrupt her little shopping trip with Yaya and Rima on the first day of summer break.

Amu started losing hope on finding him when a sudden rush of black and blue ran by.

"Got you!" Amu shouted as she reached out and tried to grab hold of the boy.

Unfortunately, he slipped out of her grasp and ran out of the crowd down into an alleyway.

"Wait!" Amu shouted as she pushed her way out of the crowd and rushed down the alleyway the boy had run down.

Her charas managed to catch up with her as they followed in pursuit of the boy.

"He's pretty fast on his feet." Miki said suspiciously.

She had lost him again and looked over at Ran. "Ran!"

"Right!" Ran said as transparent, pink wings appeared at Amu's ankles.

"Hop… Step… Jump!"

Amu jumped high into the air over the alley to see the boy slip around a corner to the far left.

Amu grinned. "He's heading for a dead end. We got him now!"

She quickly jumped onto a nearby building and followed the boy as he ran down several alley passages.

Amu jumped back down into the alley as she saw him quickly slip around a corner and a determined expression crossed her face, determined not to let this thief get away.

'He's wearing our school uniform, but I don't think I've seen him around before…' Amu said to herself as she followed him down several corners.

"Amu-chan!" Ran cried as Amu quickly looked up.

Amu gasped as she quickly skidded to a stop, hitting a dead end. The walls definitely were far too high to climb over that quickly and there weren't any small areas where someone could squeeze through.

"Where could he…" Laughter suddenly erupted from above, causing Amu to flinch.

Amu and her charas shot their gazes up towards the top of the wall to see the boy standing on top, holding her frozen yogurt in one hand.

"Don't think you're getting away!" Amu cried as she jumped high into the air and landed right in front of the boy.

The boy visibly flinched but quickly regained his composure as Amu made a mad dash to grab her frozen yogurt.

He quickly pulled it out of her reach and blocked Amu with his other arm, preventing her from getting the height she needed to get the advantage.

Amu struggled in an attempt to get back her frozen good when a spiky, green-haired chara caught her eye.

"Sync?" Amu cried as she slowly looked up at the boy's face.

She found herself staring into familiar ruby red eyes once again as Tadase looked down at her with indifference.

"So, you finally caught up. I expected a little more out of you." Tadase said licking a little of Amu's frozen yogurt.

Amu widened her eyes in shock before Tadase kicked her away from him, nearly sending her over the edge of the roof of the building.

"AHH!" Amu cried as she desperately tried to stop herself from going backwards any farther.

"Amu-chan!" Her charas cried as Amu managed to stop right at the very edge of the building.

Amu let out a sigh of relief before quickly getting away from the edge and faced Tadase.

"Tadase-kun…" Amu said as Tadase narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. (His hair was matted down which is why she didn't recognize him)

"Like I said before, I don't know that name! So stop calling me that!" Tadase shouted as he threw the frozen yogurt to the side and brought up his fist above his head.

Tadase leaned back on his legs before pushing himself forward towards Amu, his arm wound up for a punch.

"I won't forgive you for taking my world away!" Tadase shouted with pure rage and Amu's eyes started trembling in emotion, fear clenching her heart.

"Amu-chan, get out of the way!" Miki cried.

But Amu remained where she was as she felt time come to a stop.

_"I won't forgive you!"_

Those words stung her more than she realized as she felt all her hope to reach out to him again start to slowly dissipate.

Tadase was now directly in front of her, ready to strike as Ran, Miki, and Su desperately called out to her to move.

Amu closed her eyes and looked away, waiting for impact before she heard a familiar voice cry out, "Duckie Dash!"

Tadase widened his eyes before being pelted with an army of rubber duckies and was forced backwards from the force.

Once he landed a tightrope shot out from the side and wound its way around him, binding him in a tight hold.

"Gah!" Tadase cried as he struggled against the rope's grip but to no avail. He was still tired from the day previous and wasn't in top form.

Tadase was forced into a sitting position when the rubber ducks pushed him to the ground, making him unable to get back up.

Seeing their chance, Ran, Miki, and Su tackled Sync and tied him up with the end of the rope.

Amu looked over to the side to see Drop Clown and Dear Baby jump onto the roof.

"Amu are you all right?" Rima asked as Amu nodded.

"Yeah, thanks to you guys. I-I… I don't know what happened for a moment there."

She looked back over at Tadase who was sitting on the floor with a look of annoyance on his face.

"What do we do with him? It's obvious he still has it in for you, Amu." Rima said looking over at the glaring Tadase.

"We could always knock his memories back!" Yaya said punching air enthusiastically but was standing too close to Tadase and accidentally punched him on the head.

"Oops."

"Y-Yaya!" Amu cried as a dark expression fell of Tadase's face before he spun himself around and knocked Yaya off her feet and onto the ground.

"OW! WAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Yaya cried as she started crying like a baby.

Rima let out a sigh as Amu and her charas sweatdrop as it seemed that Yaya's plan had obviously backfired.

"Um, do you think it would be okay if I talked to him alone?" Amu asked turning to Rima, who gave her a suspicious look before shrugging.

"Sure. Let's go, Yaya." Rima said pulling her crying friend off as Yaya stuck her tongue out at Tadase who just scoffed at her immaturity.

Amu stood in front of a glaring Tadase who looked less likely like he wanted to listen to what she had to say.

She clutched her hand over her chest as she looked hard at the ground before slowly and hesitantly looking up at Tadase again.

"Tadase-kun…"

Tadase narrowed his eyes before looking away with a disgusted look. "Why? Why do you keep insisting on calling me that? That name means absolutely nothing to me."

Amu felt another jab to the heart as she thought back to the old Tadase. Kind, sweet, considerate, the little prince of Seiyo Elementary.

"Why do you even care about me? I've outlived my usefulness to Easter, for all I know, I've been abandoned again."

"You weren't abandoned!" Amu blurted out. "You were taken! We tried so hard to find you-"

"Even if that were true, eventually you **_stopped _**looking. You all did. That's basically the same thing as being abandoned." Tadase shot-back vehemently.

Amu opened her mouth to object but closed it, realizing what he said was true.

They had given up on him even though he was still out there and he was all alone.

"Six months have passed and I remember nothing. I've given up on everything just like I was given up on. I have no purpose anymore. I'm nothing more than a rotten piece of meat."

Failure was not an option. Once he was defeated, what was stopping the Guardians from beating him the next time?

"… Untie him." Amu said just above a whisper, her expression unreadable as Ran, Miki, and Su looked up at her in surprise and concern.

They hesitantly undid the ropes that bound Tadase as he quickly got up and rubbed his wrists.

"Hmph. What is this? If this is some kind of stupid way to-"

Tadase was cut off when Amu came forward and punched him across the face. (O_O)

All her charas gasped in shock as Tadase fell to the ground with a stunned and shocked look on his face.

Tadase slowly brought a hand to his now red cheek and winced before cupping the sore spot on his face. He looked up at Amu with a furious look before widening his eyes in surprise to see a tear streak down Amu's face.

"I can't believe how stupid you are…" Amu said gritting her teeth as her fists started trembling at her sides.

"Amu-chan…" Ran said sympathetically as she, Miki, and Su watched the two of them in silence.

"I did give up, I admit it. I didn't want to, but everyone kept telling me that you were gone. You have absolutely no idea how hard it was to accept that! I… I…" Amu shouted letting out all her frustration and pain she had bottled up since the time when Tadase was kidnapped.

Tadase widened his eyes at Amu in shock before looking down at the ground.

Amu tried to squeeze out the last words to her sentence but choked on them as tears started streaming down her face uncontrollably.

"But then you come back and start spouting such idiotic nonsense! You're so pathetic!" Amu cried as she collapsed to her knees as she allowed all of her emotions to flow out with her tears.

Tadase could only stare at Amu as she cried her heart out. No one had ever cried in front of him, not that he could remember anyway.

Six months under Easter's jurisdiction, Tadase was forced to put a tightly sealed lid on his emotions and the only emotions he was ever able to express was anger and indifference.

He felt a pang in his chest and was unsure of what it meant. It was nothing he's ever felt before and it confused him. He didn't understand it.

Amu desperately tried to wipe away her tears with her sleeve as tears continued running down her red cheeks.

"I hate this. I feel like I've been crying about every little thing recently." Amu said hiccupping a little.

Amu tried desperately to stop crying especially in front of Tadase but the tears kept flowing.

Tadase slowly got up and walked over to Amu, stopping directly in front of her.

Amu looked away from him to avoid eye contact as Tadase stood in front of her with an unreadable expression. His dark ruby eyes boring down into her.

His body seemed to move on its own accord as he slowly reached up towards Amu. He gently caressed her face and wiped her tears away with his thumb.

Amu looked at him in shock as a gentle look of concern crossed Tadase's face, his eyes seeming lighter and gentle.

"Stop crying." Tadase said gently.

Amu widened her eyes at him as Tadase proceeded to wipe her tears away.

For that once instance, Tadase's voice had softened into his old one, making him sound like he did before the accident.

Amu missed the gentleness in his voice, making her heart flutter. She gently placed her hand over his, feeling the warmth from his touch.

Amu suddenly felt Tadase stiffen as he pulled away and quickly stepped back with a bewildered look on his face.

'Why did I do that?' Tadase mentally shouted in his head as he looked to the side stubbornly, feeling his face heat up.

Miki glanced over at Sync and was shocked to see a dark expression cross over his face, causing an unsettling nervousness to arise within her.

'Who is he…?' Miki thought to herself as the dark expression faded from Sync's face as he just stared at Tadase with indifference.

Amu's eyes trembled with emotion as Tadase ran a hand through his dyed black hair, realizing that deep down; the old Tadase was still there.

Tadase didn't know what made him do something like that but somehow, it made him… happy?

Happy… Was that even possible for him right now?

The thought made him somewhat hopeful and bewildered. All these emotions were so new to him, he didn't know what to think.

Amu wiped away her remaining tears before giving Tadase a small, warm smile, causing him to flinch.

"W-What are you smiling about?" Tadase shouted as his face reddened even more, causing the charas to snicker.

"That was really nice of you. That made me feel a lot better. Arigatoh." Amu said as Tadase looked at her in surprise before frowning.

!Flick!

"Ow! Hey!" Amu cried while putting a hand to her forehead after Tadase flicked her there.

"Stop smiling at me like that. It's making me feel uncomfortable, besides you look like a dork when you do that, stupid girl." Tadase said casually with a teasing glance as a mad-mark appeared over Amu's head.

"S-Stupid? You jerk!" Amu shouted as she lunged at him.

Tadase casually stepped to the side as Amu nearly ran off the edge of the building.

"Amu-chan!" her charas cried as they grabbed hold of the back of Amu's shirt while Amu waved her arms around frantically before finally getting her balance and fell down on her bottom.

"BAKA!" Amu shouted as Tadase shrugged while grinning and walked over to the opposite edge of the building and jumped back down into the alleyway.

Amu rushed to the other side to see Tadase walking away, his arms swinging confidently by his sides.

She watched him disappear into the distance and hung her head in exhaustion.

"Are you all right?" Miki asked floating over to Amu's side.

Amu let out an exasperated sigh. "That was tougher than I expected…"

"Come on, Amu-chan! You can do it!" Ran cheered.

Su nodded. "You almost reached him, Amu-chan. Tadase-san is still there. Even if it was for a split second, desu."

Amu nodded before looking over at her charas with a tired smile. "You're right. Just for a moment, the real Tadase-kun was definitely there. If I could just reach him somehow… Maybe, just maybe…"

* * *

Tadase walked aimlessly through the busy streets of Tokyo as everyone rushed past him, ignoring his existence.

He was used to not being acknowledged by others, but for some reason he had been feeling so lonely recently and he didn't know why. He had always been alone, so why should now be any different? It didn't make any sense to him and it bothered him.

Sync glanced over at him. "Hiroto, what are you going to do?"

Tadase stopped in his tracks and stared hard at the ground. What was he going to do? His head was whirling with uncertainty and confusion; he didn't know what he was going to do at this point.

He ran a hand furiously through his hair, making it stick up in some places. He hated not knowing the answers to these questions, it made him feel vulnerable.

"I don't know anymore. Everything doesn't make sense to me anymore…" Tadase mumbled just above a whisper so Sync could hear.

Sync stared at Tadase before letting out a sigh. "Hopeless."

Tadase glared at Sync before continuing on his way, unsure where this path would take him.

After a while, Tadase looked up and was surprised to find himself in front of a small playground with a swing set.

There was something about this place that drew Tadase towards it as he walked over and sat down on one of the swings.

He grasped the metal chains, feeling the cool metal against his warm hands. He wasn't at all familiar with this and couldn't remember what he was supposed to do on it.

There weren't any kids around and the playground was unusually quiet, leaving Tadase to himself.

A cold pre-storm breeze blew through his hair, sending a refreshing feeling down his body.

Tadase just stared at the ground, wanting desperately to know what to do. So many thoughts were running through his head, making him feel a little dizzy.

He had always believed his existence had no meaning except to serve Easter, that was what he was told at least. But then that girl came along…

He just couldn't understand how she could care about him so much when he hardly even knew her. He was an expert strategist and yet he just couldn't understand what that girl's intentions were or why she was doing them.

Yet he felt like he had the answer at the very edge of his mind, but just couldn't grasp it.

'Could it be… That I actually **_do _**know her…?' Tadase questioned himself.

A sudden pain shot through his head, sending volts rippling through his skull.

"GAH!" Tadase cried clutching his head in pain.

This pain was much more severe than the other ones he had previously experienced; he couldn't even explain the pain he was feeling.

Everything was starting to spin as he collapsed onto his knees as he was starting to breathe in short, uneven gasps.

He grasped his head in sheer agony as the pain came pounding down on him even harder.

'Stop! Please stop!' Tadase cried as he felt like his head was going to split open.

The pain suddenly subsided as everything went black.

OOOOOOO

Everything was dark and a small fog hung thickly in the air. There was no light anywhere, making it impossible to see.

But within the darkness, there was the sound of the wind echoing through the area though it couldn't be seen.

Voices could be heard as well, but they were muffled, making it impossible to understand what they were saying.

It was paralyzing, not being able to see or hear what was going on around you.

Thought it seemed peaceful, the darkness was suffocating and there was nothing that could be done to escape it.

Suddenly, there was a shrilling noise like that of car breaks echoing through the darkness. There was no way of telling where they were coming from as a heartbeat beat loudly.

Light suddenly appeared in a blinding flash, outlining a figure, though it was unrecognizable.

The sound of a car horn filled the area as the darkness was overcome by the blinding flash of a car's headlights.

Tadase snapped his eyes open, breathing in hard and shallow breaths. Sweat beaded his forehead as his heart was beating so fast he was afraid it would jump out of his chest.

He placed a hand over his chest, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.

His eyes were stretched out so wide like a deer in headlights.

Tadase had never experienced anything like this before and it frightened him. He felt like he had died.

His whole body was trembling uncontrollably as he tried to will himself to stop.

Tadase curled into a ball and placed his head in his hands. He felt like he was broken again like when he had first woken up without his memories, so weak and vulnerable.

"Stop… Make it stop…" Tadase mumbled to himself as there was no one there besides Sync, who just watched him struggle with himself.

"Someone… Someone… Please…"

Suddenly, an image of Amu's smiling face flashed across his mind, surprisingly calming him down.

Warmth filled his chest, soothing his anxiety. Tadase slowly closed his eyes as he leaned against his arm that was propped up on his leg.

After a while, his breathing and heart had finally calmed to a steady pace as he let out a sigh.

He lifted his head to see Sync floating in front of him.

"Are you done?" Sync asked as Tadase narrowed his eyes at him.

Tadase ignored him and placed a hand over his mouth thoughtfully, wondering why he had calmed after thinking about Amu's smile.

_"It's your choice whether to believe in someone or not. Decide for yourself whether that person is trustworthy or not." _The mysterious man's words echoed through his head.

"…Whether someone is trustworthy or not…" Tadase said to himself as he continued to sit in the middle of the playground, thinking about what he should do as a light rain started cascading down on him.

**To be continued…**

* * *

Hoo boy, sorry for the late update but this was a challenge to write. After the finding out that Hiroto was Tadase, I had a figure out the second half of the plot. -_- Anyways, Tadase has apparently turned emo since he's sitting out in the rain again, seeing his life as worthless. But hopefully that will all change. You may be wondering why Sync doesn't seem all that concerned about him, well it does have a meaning. I apologize Tadase for having Amu bruise your face, but we had to knock some sense back into you. A thought to myself, a slap is way to predicable, why not punch him instead?XD Sorry, sorry! Well, hope to see you next time, Please Review! (I know you are out there)


	9. Do you Trust Me?

These chapter just keep growing! Help! Jk Anyways, there was a lot to put in it if I'm going to end it soon. Hope you all enjoy!

**_Disclaimer: Shugo Chara is owned by Peach Pit, not me. :(_**

**Chapter 9: Will you Trust me?**

The moon hung high in the night sky as a warm summer breeze blew gently through a certain blue neko's hair.

Ikuto was walking along the catwalk that led to Amu's house. He hasn't visited her in a while and decided to have a little fun. (Don't be perverted now)

After he was threatened by Hiroto, he had decided to put a little distance between himself and Amu so he wouldn't be putting himself or Amu at risk.

Ikuto narrowed his eyes at the thought of Hiroto mocking him with that crooked smile of his.

There was something about that boy that just didn't sit right with him and it bothered him.

But lately, Ikuto hadn't seen or heard of the twisted boy since their little confrontation. He also noticed the director wasn't in a particularly good mood recently either.

'Looks like his secret weapon failed him.' Ikuto grinned, thinking about the frustrated look on the director's face.

But now that Ikuto thought about it, the three stooges seemed to be a little anxious about something lately. They had gone out to spy on Hiroto a few days back and had come back without a word, which was odd especially for them.

Ikuto didn't think much about what Hiroto was doing, having full faith that Amu and the others could take him down. Though it did make him wonder what happened to have made the three stooges return without a word.

He had decided that Amu would probably know since she must have seen what happened first hand and he also wanted to make sure she was all right. (It's been several days, don't you think you would have checked a little earlier? =_=)

"Ikuto!" Yoru called as Ikuto looked to the side and was surprised to see the three stooges parked out under a tree. They all seemed deep in thought and seemed troubled as well.

Ikuto let out a sigh and decided to ask what was wrong, since they all worked for the same company and all.

He jumped off the catwalk and strode over to them without a sound.

"What are we going to do? Hiroto-kun has failed and has disappeared again, putting the Director in an even worse of a mood." Tsukumo cried anxiously.

"We might be back in the job though." Manta said.

"Are you crazy? The Director told us straight out that he didn't have faith in us anymore! Besides, after Hiroto-kun's screw up, this just shows us that the Guardians are nearly impossible to defeat!" Tsukumo cried.

"What are you doing out here at this hour?" Ikuto asked, catching them off guard.

All three of them let out a cry of shock as Tsukumo glared at him.

"Would you stop sneaking up on us?"

"You nearly scared us to death!" Manta cried.

Ikuto ignored them and waited for their answer.

"W-We were looking for Hiroto-kun. But we've been searching for him for days and have seen no sign of him since the battle with the Guardians." Chichimura replied nervously.

Ikuto narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "He went missing? What happened?"

Tsukumo immediately calmed down and looked away almost guiltily as Manta and Chichimura exchanged uneasy glances.

"Y-You might not like what you hear, Ikuto-san."

* * *

Amu sat up in bed sluggishly and tried to blink the sleep from her eyes, but still felt exhausted.

A few days had passed since she last saw Tadase and was a little worried whether or not he'd come back this time.

She had hoped to see him earlier but it seemed as if he had disappeared again. There were no signs of the lost little boy and she felt a little guilty about punching him.

Though she couldn't stand the way he was talking about himself and it felt fitting to knock some common sense back into him.

Amu turned to look out the window, seeing the sun shining brightly in the sky, indicating a nice sunny day.

"Yay! Yay! It's going to be warm today!" Ran cheered as Miki sketched the view in her little sketchpad.

"Finally. The storm made the summer seem really dreary." Amu said getting up and walked over to the window and opened it up to walk out onto her balcony.

Amu let out a sigh before stretching her arm above her head, trying to stretch the sleep from her tired limbs.

"Boo."

Amu blinked a couple of times before realizing that someone's face was right in front of hers.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Amu cried as she fell to the ground and quickly crawled backwards until she was backed up against the screen door.

"You sure have a lot of energy first thing in the morning." Tadase said still hanging upside down from the roof with a bored look on his face.

He flipped down onto the railing, sitting on it like a dog, his hands gripping the railing underneath him tightly to prevent himself from falling backwards. (Kind of like how Inuyasha sits ^-^)

"Y-Y-Y-Y-You? W-W-Where… W-Wha… H-H-How…" Amu mentally smacked herself for sounding like a babbling idiot.

"I was bored." Tadase said simply, his expression not changing while still sitting on the railing bar.

Sync floated next to him, his arms folded and a look of annoyance plastered on his face. He seemed less than pleased to be here.

Amu was struck speechless. She was absolutely shocked to have Tadase just appear on her balcony after just thinking about him. Though he seems to have gotten into the habit of appearing when she less likely expected him recently.

"H-H-How did you even know where I lived?" Amu stammered picking herself off the ground.

Tadase brought a fist up to Amu's face before extending one finger, flicking her directly on the forehead like he did before, causing a small eep to escape from Amu's mouth.

"None of your business… Stupid girl." Tadase said as a mad-mark appeared over Amu's head after being called stupid for the second time by him.

Amu put a hand to her forehead while glaring daggers at Tadase, blushing furiously.

"Y-You're such a jerk! W-What are you even doing here anyways?" Amu demanded as Tadase hopped down onto the balcony.

"Like I said before, I was bored."

He was still wearing the school's uniform, which had many wrinkles in it as if he was standing out in the rain. (Which he was doing)

His hair was still matted down, though there were a few places where it was sticking up, making it look much messier than his original hairstyle, which was neatly cut and parted in a specific way. His bangs hung messily over his face now that his hair was longer.

But there was also something else that was visibly different about him though Amu couldn't place it at first.

Upon closer inspection, Amu realized that there were small gold patches in his black hair. The dye was slowly fading away, allowing his naturally blond hair to show through a little.

Tadase frowned, seeing Amu stare at him for so long without saying something.

"What are you staring at?" Tadase asked a little harshly, snapping Amu out of her thoughts before she looked down at the ground blushing.

"I-It was just… Y-Your hair." Amu said as Tadase looked at her curiously.

"What about it?"

Tadase was totally oblivious to the fact that the black dye was finally coming out of his hair considering he hadn't had access to a mirror in a while.

Amu quickly got out a mirror and allowed Tadase to see.

Tadase stared at his reflection blankly before letting out a sigh.

"Guess that's to be expected when I haven't reapplied the dye in a while and that I've been sitting out in the rain…" Tadase said rubbing the back of his head.

"What?"

Tadase looked up at Amu before she pulled him into her room and started pushing him towards the door.

"W-What are you doing?" Tadase asked looking over his shoulder at Amu.

"You could have caught a cold, you dolt! You're taking a shower now!" Amu said pushing Tadase towards the shower.

Tadase lifted an eyebrow at her before he was forcefully pushed into the bathroom.

Amu's parents had take Ami to one of her friend's birthday parties and being the overprotective father like he was, Mr. Hinamori just **_had _**to go and watch over his "baby". Mrs. Hinamori also decided to go just to make sure he didn't embarrass himself too much.

They wouldn't be back until the afternoon so Amu had the whole house to herself until then so it was rest assured that no one would catch the amnesic Tadase taking refuge at her house.

"Go take a hot shower, you probably need it." Amu said as Tadase's eye twitched in annoyance.

"I don't even have a change of clothes."

"I'll just wash the uniform for you then." Amu said.

"Won't that take a while though?" Tadase asked skeptically.

"You can take a bath while you wait. Besides, it shouldn't take that long to clean." Su said as Tadase let out a sigh of defeat and ran a hand through his hair.

"Alright, alright." Tadase said as he turned his back on her and started to pull off his shirt over his head.

"WAAAHHHHH!" Amu cried blushing bright red as Tadase stiffened and sweatdropped.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING STILL STANDING THERE? GET OUT!" Tadase shouted throwing his shirt at her.

Amu quickly ran out of the bathroom and slammed the door behind her as her face turned even redder if that were possible.

She placed both hands on her face, trying to cool down her burning cheeks. (I couldn't resist ^-^)

Ran and Miki snickered. "Amu-chan's a pervert."

Amu glared at them furiously. "He's the one who started undressing!"

"He was expecting you to have already left!" Ran giggled.

"Shut up!"

Tadase rolled his eyes at the commotion they were making outside before completely undressing and stepped into the shower.

As the warm waters hit him, he somehow felt refreshed and renewed.

The atmosphere in this house seemed very relaxed and peaceful, unlike the Easter building that was always dark and tense.

Tadase felt kind of envious of Amu for being brought up in this environment considering how hard he had it from the start when he first "woke up."

He heard the door to the bathroom open slowly and someone walk in, picking up his clothes on the floor and leaving a couple of towels on the toilet seat.

"You better not peek, Amu-chan." Miki said slyly as a mad-mark pulsed from the side of Tadase's head.

"Would you all just leave?" Tadase said irritably as he heard Amu let out an eep before bolting out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her again.

Tadase let out a groan and rubbed his throbbing head. "Stupid girl…"

After everything calmed down, Tadase let his mind be at ease as he squirted some shampoo into his hand and ran it through his hair.

As he rinsed, he took hold of a piece of his hair, seeing some of his naturally blond hair bleed through.

He knew he was blond, but was told that it didn't suit him by Easter. So they had him dye it a little after he started training in martial arts, saying it gave him a darker outlook to match his personality.

Tadase wasn't too crazy about the idea, but went through with it to not disappoint the Director.

He looked down at his hands, watching the water run down from his palms down his arms. The memory of gently caressing Amu's face and gently telling her to stop crying was still burned deep into his mind. He felt his face get hot and quickly turned on the cold water to try and cool himself down.

Tadase was still utterly confused as to why he did that and why he was so calm when he visualized Amu's smile.

He turned off the faucet after he was done showering and ran his hands furiously through his soaked hair, letting the water splatter all over the place.

His hair was sticking up on the right side of his head and when he tried to pat it down, it just stuck up again.

He let out an exasperated sigh before giving up and wrapping a towel around his waist.

Sync was sitting under the sink, apparently washing his own hair under the running water.

Sync… Tadase wasn't sure who Sync really was, since he was given to him after he had completed his martial arts training. Though he heard that people give birth to Shugo Charas, not given to them by someone else.

Sync glanced over at Tadase curiously before frowning. "What?"

Tadase shook his head before sitting down on the floor and drying his hair with the other towel as Sync proceeded to rinse his own hair.

His bangs hung over his eyes, making it a little hard to see. Tadase tried brushing it out of his face but they just came back over his face, causing him to narrow his eyes in annoyance.

About a half hour later, Amu returned with his clothes, although still slightly damp, but still bearable.

She didn't think Tadase would appreciate having to stay in the bathroom for another hour or so to wait for them to dry.

There weren't any other clothes that he could wear since her dad was too tall and she didn't think Tadase would be too happy if she were to have him wear some of her clothes.

Amu blushed at the thought before shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

"U-Um, here are your clothes." Amu said nervously as she opened the door to see Tadase sitting on the floor with a pair of scissors in his hand.

Amu stared at him blankly for a moment before shouting, "W-What are you doing?"

"My bangs were in the way, so I decided to cut them a little." Tadase said pointing to his newly cut bangs.

Amu widened her eyes in shock when she realized that he had cut his hair to look more like his old hairstyle, probably subconsciously. Though his hair still had a slightly messy look to it.

"Tadase-kun…" Amu mumbled almost speechless.

A frown appeared on Tadase's face as Amu caught herself and looked down at the ground.

"I-I mean… Sorry."

Tadase stood up and walked over to Amu, causing her look up at him.

Her eyes couldn't help but wander down to his exposed chest, causing her face to heat up. Tadase's martial arts training had certainly done a fine job toning his chest. She also noticed a few small scars that he must have gotten from the accident on the left side of his chest.

Tadase held up a hand and snapped his fingers in front of her, snapping her out of her trance.

"You're staring again." Tadase said in a sing-song voice as Amu blushed harder.

"N-N-No I wasn't! I-I was just thinking about something, that's all!" Amu said frantically waving her hands in front of her as Tadase suddenly smirked, causing Amu to flinch.

"Yeah, thinking about how hot I am."

Amu's mouth dropped at what Tadase had just said. 'Did he just really…?'

Tadase was grinning evilly and Amu knew it was Hiroto who was talking as a mad-mark appeared over her head.

"You pervert!" Amu shouted as she felt her whole body flush.

"Hey, I'm not the one caught staring twice in one day." Tadase said in a matter-of-fact tone while waving a finger at Amu.

"He got you there, Amu-chan." Miki chuckled.

"SHUT UP!" Amu shouted as she threw Tadase's clothes at his face.

Amu dashed out of the door as Tadase smirked. "What a weirdo." (Sorry for making him slightly perverted in this bit, but it seemed necessary in his personality at the moment)

Amu busied herself by making toast with a fried egg on top to try and stop thinking about the little incident but was failing miserably.

She was still blushing heavily as her charas continued to snicker in the background.

Amu whirled around and glared at them. "Stop laughing! It wasn't funny!"

"Come on, Amu-chan, we all know you were enjoying the view!" Ran giggled as Amu grabbed her and started shaking her like a rag doll.

"Cut it out!" Amu seethed as Ran's eyes started swirling.

"Amu-chan, the egg is burning!" Su cried as Amu let out a cry before rushing towards the stove and quickly turned it off before the egg and toast were charred.

Amu let out a sigh of relief before transferring the toast onto a plate. "That was close…"

When Amu turned around she found herself face to face with Tadase again, causing her to let out another cry of shock and threw the plate up into the air while scrambling backwards over to the counter.

"Oh no! The toast!" Ran cried as the plate and toast were set on a collision course with the floor.

Tadase smirked and just reached out casually and caught the plate with one hand as the toast landed on the plate afterwards.

"You should be more careful, stupid girl." Tadase said walking away with a hint of teasing in his voice as Amu's face went red with anger.

"O-Oi! Stop appearing out of no where, you jerk! And you could at least say thank you!" Amu shouted after him as Tadase waved her off.

* * *

Amu stuck a pair of sunglasses over Tadase's eyes, causing him to flinch.

"What are you doing? And what are these for?" Tadase asked before taking another bite of his egg toast.

"To hide your identity. We can't have people recognizing you just yet." Amu said taking hold of Tadase's arm and pulling him towards the door. "Let's go."

"I rather have my mask." Tadase said with his toast hanging out the corner of his mouth.

"You'll draw attention with that beak of yours." Amu said as Tadase grunted in annoyance while continuing to pull him out the door.

"Where are you even taking me?"

"You'll see." Amu said not looking at him as Tadase lifted an eyebrow at her.

After a while of walking, Amu led Tadase to some kind of amusement park.

Tadase stared at it in awe, never seeing such a place before, not that he could remember anyway.

There were many people, mostly families enjoying the games and rides that the amusement park had to offer. Laughter filled the air, giving the place a rather energetic yet relaxing atmosphere.

"Let's go." Amu said pulling Tadase by the arm.

Tadase blinked a couple of times but allowed Amu to drag him.

For the first half of their time at the amusement park, Amu took Tadase to the games first.

"So what do I have to do here?" Tadase asked holding a few rings that he was given.

"You have to throw the rings around those bottles in order to win a prince." Amu explained.

"Yeah! But it's really hard!" Ran said as Miki pictured the bottled with her hands.

"You need precision and accuracy to get it just right." Miki said.

Tadase tossed the ring up and down in his hand before glancing over at the bottles.

He watched Amu toss a few, though she missed all throws as the clatter of the rings falling to the ground followed.

Amu let out a sigh as Tadase stared hard at the bottles before throwing his rings, which surprisingly landed around a couple of bottles, none of them missing.

"Eh? How did you do that?" Amu said in shock as Tadase crossed his arms.

"I'm an expert strategist, I can manage little details such as that." Tadase said as if it wasn't anything special.

Everyone around them was shocked as well, seeing how he had thrown all ten of his rings around a bottle without missing.

Tadase declined the prize, seeing it as totally useless to him and didn't want to carry it around all day.

Amu was a little annoyed at how arrogant he was acting but decided to let it go, seeing as he wasn't going to change any time soon.

Every game she took him to, resulted in Tadase winning a prize, which he always declined. All the games either took precision and accuracy or wit, which Tadase all had from all the training he was given.

"What did you think?" Amu asked afterwards.

"Hn, there wasn't much to it." Tadase said uninterested.

"But you won all the games!" Ran said as Tadase yawned.

Amu and her charas let out a sigh before a determined expression came over her face.

"Alright, then on to the next event!" Amu said as Tadase sweatdropped.

'This is going to be a long day…'

Tadase was dragged into the house of mirrors where he looked himself in different ways through the warped mirrors. He found it slightly amusing but still wasn't too amazed or interested.

Seeing how Tadase wasn't enjoying himself too much, Amu decided to step up the game and brought him over to the roller coaster.

As the roller coaster took them up, Tadase couldn't help but feel slightly nervous. He didn't understand why but before he could react, the roller coaster launched down the first drop.

Tadase felt his stomach plummet as the coaster shot down the track at high speeds. It was a huge rush of adrenaline that Tadase didn't know if he could keep up with it any longer.

When the ride finally stopped Tadase staggered out of the car, feeling his head spin.

"That was great!" Ran said laughing as Miki looked like her head was spinning.

"Yeah, it was really fun. What do you think-?" Amu said looking over at Tadase who suddenly fell over onto his side.

"I think I'm going to be sick…" Tadase mumbled as his eyes were swirling.

"Oh no! Tadase-san is broken!" Su cried.

"Ah! O-Oi!" Amu cried rushing to Tadase's side frantically.

"Looks like taking him on that wasn't the greatest idea…" Miki said while sweatdropping.

Once Tadase was better, Amu had taken, mostly forced, Tadase on several more rides, but seemed to have no effect on him as he just excused each ride as unnecessary and unsettling.

Amu looked at him sadly, getting the impression that he wasn't having such a good time like she had hoped. She had thought taking him to the amusement park would help him smile, but it seemed to be doing the opposite.

Tadase let out a small yawn and pushed up his sunglasses higher up on his face, indicating that he was bored.

Amu frowned. How could she get him to smile? There had to be some way…

"Oi."

"Eh? What?" Amu said looking over at Tadase.

"I'm hungry." Tadase said simply as Amu looked at him with an ill expression.

"You only ate a few hours ago." Amu said as Tadase glanced over to the side.

"It wasn't that filling."

A mad-mark appeared over Amu's head as her charas sweatdropped.

"Fine! What do you want?" Amu asked while twitching angrily as Tadase pointed over to the side.

Amu looked over and was surprised to see a taiyaki stand.

"The last one I had was pretty good." Tadase said as Amu sweatdropped.

"You mean the one you stole?"

"Details." Tadase said waving a hand as Amu hung her head in exasperation.

As Amu stood in the taiyaki line, she couldn't help but feel a little crestfallen.

Though Tadase was cooperating, he wasn't making an effort to actually have a good time. But it also made sense that he didn't know **_how _**to make an effort since he was cut off from the outside world for six months. Though she had promised to help him, the job seemed a little out of her league now.

"So, what do you think so far?" Miki asked Tadase who was sitting at a nearby bench.

"Nothing much." Tadase said as Amu's charas hung their heads in defeat.

"But you do seem to be a little more at ease. Before, you were always on edge or anxious." Su pointed out as Tadase looked at her in surprise before looking away.

"Hn…"

"Sorry if it took so long." Amu said coming to them.

"Here." Amu said handing him one.

Tadase took it and broke off a piece, giving it to Sync, who was sitting next to him on the bench. Sync looked at him in surprise before frowning but accepted it and ate it hastily.

Amu was surprised by the notion but smiled and sat down next to them.

Tadase gingerly took a small bite and was slightly surprised by the flavor.

"Vanilla?" Tadase said raising his eyebrows. Such a plain flavor yet delicious. He wondered why such a flavor appealed to him so much.

"How is it?" Amu asked curiously.

Tadase was silent as he continued taking small, savoring bites before answering, "Good… But, why vanilla?"

Amu blushed slightly before scratching her cheek sheepishly. "I thought you might like it, ehehehe…"

Tadase stared at her for a moment before taking another bite of his taiyaki.

A couple of people passed by looking at the two of them sitting together and chuckled, whispering to each other how cute they looked together.

Amu blushed, realizing that the two of them looked like they were on a date. She tried to persuade herself that she was just trying to be able to help Tadase smile and that they were **_not _**on a date. Unfortunately, all thoughts failed and she ended up blushing even harder.

She suddenly felt something knock against her head making her look up. Tadase had brought his knuckle up to Amu and knocked her on the head lightly.

"I suggest calming down or else you're going to pass out from heatstroke, seeing how red your face is." Tadase said.

Amu's eyes trembled before slapping his hand away from her and stubbornly looking away. "S-Shut up."

Tadase smirked before he continued eating.

Sync narrowed his eyes at Amu, sending her a chilling glare, though she failed to notice it.

"Amu-chan! Look!" Ran said as Amu looked up to see the teacup ride up ahead.

Amu stared at it for a moment before her eyes widened in realization. She remembered the time she spent on the teacups with Ikuto, which she always treasured as special.

"Our last hope." Miki said.

"Alright!" Amu said standing up as Tadase looked up at her blankly while finishing his taiyaki.

"What?" Tadase said as Amu grabbed his wrist.

"There's one final ride we should go on. Come on!" Amu said excitedly while pulling Tadase along.

Tadase felt slightly annoyed by being pulled everywhere but somehow looked over it when he saw Amu smile so cheerfully.

When they entered, Tadase was slightly puzzled by it. There was a steering wheel in the middle of the cup but the cups seemed to be rooted to a specific place in the floor and moved in a specific way.

"How does this contraption work?" Tadase asked as Amu pouted at his attitude.

"You grip the steering wheel like this and spin it!" Ran said as she, Miki, and Su started spinning the wheel.

Tadase stumbled backwards a little before regaining his balance as the three charas twirled the cup faster and faster.

Amu was laughing as she helped spin the cup faster.

Tadase couldn't help but stare. He looked up at the sky, seeing how blue it was and the sun shining radiantly down on them.

He never gave any thought about his surroundings but realized it was beautiful.

All the people around him were having a good time and were all laughing and smiling. The atmosphere was just so warm and bubbly to him, he couldn't even describe it.

He felt his mouth twitch but kept it a firm line as to not show any emotion. Tadase refused to let himself be caught vulnerable in front of anyone. But…

Tadase glanced at Amu again. He couldn't bring himself to hate her. She was the first person to show him kindness and compassion, treating him like an actual person instead of a tool.

He took hold of the steering wheel, stopping it from spinning.

Amu and her charas looked up at Tadase in surprise before a smirk appeared on his face.

"You call that fast? I'll show you fast!" Tadase said as he spun the wheel with a powerful spin, sending the cup spinning faster than before.

Amu let out a cry of surprise at first but then started laughing again as did her charas.

"Faster! Faster" Ran chanted as Sync looked like he was to tip over as he held onto Tadase for dear life.

Tadase spun the wheel as fast as he could, making everything a blur of colors and sounds around him.

When the ride finally came to a stop, Amu nearly tripped when she came out of the cup and was wavering with each step.

"T-That was fun!" Amu said as her charas were spinning beside her.

Tadase was slower to come out of the cup as he held on tightly to the cup's ledges, trying to regain his balance after all that spinning.

"Are you all right-?" Amu said as her foot hit a bump in the road and due to her instability at the moment started falling forward towards the ground.

"AHHH!" Amu cried as she closed her eyes, awaiting for impact when suddenly a strong hand reached out and grabbed her arm, preventing her from hitting the ground as the clack of sunglasses hitting the ground followed.

Amu slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see Tadase holding her up. He helped pull her up back onto her feet as she stood staring dumbfounded at him.

"T-Thanks." Amu said in surprise as Tadase stared at her with an uninterested expression before bringing his hand up to her and ruffled her bangs.

"Be a little more careful with yourself, stupid girl."

A mad-mark appeared over Amu's head as she glared up at him. "Why you-!"

She paused in mid-sentence when she noticed Tadase's expression.

It wasn't a smirk or a grin; it was a warm genuine smile, a smile he would always wear before the accident.

Amu couldn't believe it; she never would have thought she'd see that smile again after the accident. The teacups must have a strong influence on people's hearts without them even knowing it as if they were magical or something.

Tadase suddenly became self-conscious and stubbornly turned his back on her while rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

Ran, Miki, and Su floated next to Amu smiling, happy to see that their efforts were finally rewarded. Even if Tadase didn't regain his memories yet, he was taking steps in the right direction.

"Hey." Amu looked up at Tadase, who was looking to the side, his cheeks slightly red.

"Um, uh… Man, I'm no good at this." Tadase said rubbing his head again in frustration as Amu looked at him puzzled.

"*Sigh*, I guess what I'm trying to say is, thanks… For everything you did and all."

Amu's eyes started trembling in emotion as she placed her hand on her chest. "Tadase-kun… Ah!"

Amu caught herself and slapped a hand over her mouth. "I-I'm sorry! It just slipped out!"

Tadase glanced over at her with what seemed to be a glare before sighing and waved a hand. "Ah, if it makes you happy… call me whatever you like."

The x-shaped hairclip that pinned Amu's ponytail up suddenly turned into a heart as a huge smile appeared on Amu's face causing Tadase to flinch.

"I'm so happy! Tadase-kun!" Amu cried as she jumped towards Tadase, intent on giving him a hug.

Tadase stiffened as he started sweating nervously. Before Amu could hug him, Tadase extended his arm, preventing her from getting any closer by pushing her by the head.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I never said anything about hugging!" Tadase shouted while keeping Amu at arm's length.

Ran was laughing as Miki and Su let out exasperated sighs.

"Ran…" Miki said, knowing Ran had character changed with Amu.

"At least they're getting along, desu." Su said with a smile as Miki nodded while sweatdropping.

"CUT IT OUT!"

* * *

"Ah, that was exhausting." Amu said coming back into her room.

Though she was tired, she was definitely more than happy after what happened, though she was embarrassed how Ran had almost had her hug him in that super-happy character change.

"Finally, we're making progress." Amu said in relief as she flopped down on her bed.

"Where have you been all day, Amu?"

Amu stiffened, realizing that she was lying on something that wasn't her bed. She slowly looked over to see a familiar figure smirking at her.

"I-Ikuto?"

**To be continued…**

* * *

Shoot me now, I hated this chapter. I don't think it came out too well, what do you guys think? Should I add, take out certain things, any suggestions? Anyways, Tadase is slowly resuming his original self. XD When he was smiling, he wasn't aware he was smiling, it was subconscious. Sorry for a little bit of perversion from Tadase, I thought it was funny. It won't happen again. DX Please Review!


	10. Gone Astray

I'm not too sure about this chapter since I think it moves too fast, but that's just me. Hope you all enjoy!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara or Tales of the Abyss or their characters_

**Chapter 10: Gone Astray**

"I-Ikuto?" Amu cried in shock as she immediately got off the blue cat's lap.

Ikuto smirked as Yoru slumped himself over his shoulder. "Yo, nya!"

"Where have you been all day? I wanted to talk to you." Ikuto said in a whining tone.

Amu felt her eye twitch in annoyance. "Yeah? About what?"

Ikuto got up off the bed and strode over to Amu before he spun her around and wrapped his long arms around her waist.

"Do I really need a reason to just come over to see you?" Ikuto said coolly into her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

Amu was left dazed for a second before blushing hard the next.

Ikuto smirked at her reaction before Amu quickly squirmed out of his grasp and glared at him while blushing heavily.

"Keep that up and I'm kicking you out the window!" Amu said a blush still evident on her face.

Ikuto shrugged before laying down back on her bed and propped his head up on his arm, getting into a relaxing position. "So cold, as usual."

Amu turned her back on him while folding her arms stubbornly. "W-What did you come here for, really?"

"I was worried about you. After I saw that light from your attack, I figured you were fighting with that Hiroto guy." Ikuto said causing Amu to flinch slightly.

She heard him let out a sigh behind her. "I never expected such a twisted person to turn out to be the Kiddy King hiding underneath that beak."

Amu froze as her eyes started trembling while staring straight ahead, her back still facing Ikuto.

Ikuto took her reaction as a hint that she already knew this and went on. "Kiddy King was right here in Easter and I had no idea. I didn't even recognize him; he was an entirely different person."

The air in the room seemed to have tensed as Amu clenched and unclenched her fists nervously, unsure of what to say.

"It all makes sense as to why they waited six months to send him out. He probably needed two months to recover and four months to train. Considering how harsh and strict my dear 'father' is, I'm not surprised how fast the kiddy king was able to learn how to fight like that." Ikuto said thoughtfully.

"You're talking like Tadase-kun fought us on purpose! He lost his memory!" Amu said turning around to face Ikuto. "He didn't know friend from foe; he was just lost. We have no idea how alone he must have felt. And you're talking like he joined Easter willingly!"

Ikuto stared at her for a moment before letting out a sigh and laid down on his back, putting his arms behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Look, I'm not saying that the kiddy king is the bad guy here, I was just surprised, that's all." Ikuto said as Amu looked down at the floor.

"So… Where were you? You seemed pretty happy when you came back." Ikuto smirked, changing the subject off something touchy.

"T-That's none of your business!" Amu said stubbornly, blushing slightly.

Ikuto chuckled slightly. "Go on a date or something?"

Amu's face went bright red before glaring at him. "S-Shut up!"

"Ah, so you did," Ikuto mused. "But with whom I wonder…"

Ikuto reached out and pulled Amu towards him, having her sit on his lap again. (*groan* I'm sorry, I'm not enjoying this part either)

"W-What are you doing, you idiot?" Amu cried, aware of how warm her face was becoming.

"I was just thinking that we haven't been on a date in a while…" Ikuto purred in her ear causing Amu's heart to pound in her chest.

Amu's charas and Yoru watched the two with anticipation while hovering above them.

Ikuto grinned before letting her go and walked back over to the screen door.

"Well, I gotta go. Ja ne, Amu." Ikuto said in a low, husky voice as he stepped out the door.

Before he left, he turned back towards her, his blue bangs gently blowing to the breeze.

"Don't worry too much about the Kiddy King. He'll come around eventually."

Amu widened her eyes in surprise as Ikuto waved and jumped off the balcony onto the nearby catwalk.

Amu held her hand to her chest, still feeling her heart beating rapidly.

'Right, he'll come around eventually.'

* * *

Tadase blinked a couple of times, his vision still a little hazy from sleep.

It was early the next morning and Tadase was back in the old planetarium, where he had just woken up.

"…" Tadase stared blankly at the strange new egg in his hands.

Tadase rubbed his eyes with his hand, trying to make sure he wasn't seeing things but the small egg was still there.

"What in the… A Guardian egg?" Tadase said, still half asleep.

The egg was all white except for the middle which had a gold circle with little orange circles surrounding it.

He ran a hand through his hair before placing it on the ground beside him and settled back down to sleep. "I'll deal with it later…"

Sync floated over to the egg and examined it with suspicious green eyes.

He narrowed his eyes before glancing over at Tadase, who had fallen back to sleep.

"Looks like my usefulness has come to an end…"

A few hours later, Tadase had woken up again and was surprised to find a change of clothes on one of the planetarium seats. He realized it must have been the strange man he met when he first arrived at the planetarium.

He was left with a white collared shirt and black pants. He was also given a pair of white shoes though Tadase saw the wardrobe as a poor taste in colors.

Tadase quickly changed into the new clothes considering he hated wearing the uniform before glancing back at the newly found egg that was still lying on the ground where he left it.

Tadase debated on what to do with it for a moment before picking it up and stuffing it in his pocket and walked out of the planetarium with Sync following slowly behind him.

He was still tired and was walking along a path while constantly rubbing his eyes sleepily.

Sync sweatdropped, seeing that Tadase looked like he was going to drop back to sleep any moment.

"Ugh… Why am I so tired today…?" Tadase mumbled irritably before letting out a tired yawn.

Sync looked at him warily before turning his gaze in front of him with many thoughts running through his head.

Tadase had a new unborn chara that could hatch at any time and he seemed to be getting along better with this Amu Hinamori, making Sync unnecessary.

The thought bugged him and didn't seem like it was going to get any better when Sync realized that Tadase was headed in the direction of Amu's house.

Sync frowned. He and Tadase hadn't done a Character Change or a Transformation in days and Sync felt like there was just no more use for him to be with him.

Tadase arrived at Amu's house a little while before climbing into the tree next to her house and jumped onto her balcony, leading to her room.

He quietly opened up the screen door to find that Amu wasn't around. He let out a small sigh before letting himself in and felt exhaustion hit him again.

Tadase put a hand to his head as the room started spinning slightly.

"Ugh…"

* * *

Amu's eye started twitching as her charas just stared blankly once they entered their room.

They had only left the room to eat lunch and had come back to find Tadase lying on the floor next to her bed fast asleep. Sync was sitting on Tadase's stomach, rising up and down with his breathing.

"First Ikuto, now this…" Amu said bleakly though on the inside she was relieved to be able to see him more often now.

"He sure has made himself at home." Miki said sweatdropping as Amu let out an exasperated sigh.

"He still hasn't regained all of his energy from the last battle." Sync said, staring at Amu intently through narrowed eyes.

Amu looked at him questionably as Sync continued.

"He put too much stress on his body by using so many attacks. It will take a while before he's at full strength again."

Amu stared at Sync suspiciously. Chara Transformations drain the user's energy if they transform with a chara that isn't their own, like Dia and Utau.

Amu narrowed her eyes at the green-haired chara. "Just… Just who's chara are you really?"

Sync said nothing as Amu took a step forward.

"You're not Tadase-kun's would-be self. Where is Kiseki?" Amu demanded.

Amu's Charas glanced uneasily from Amu and Sync as the air in the room suddenly tensed.

Sync looked at her with such a cold glare; it would probably freeze a volcano.

"Kiseki is gone, along with this "Tadase" person. If he can't remember who he is, he can't remember his "dream" and what good is a chara of a forgotten dream?" Sync spat as he flew over to the sliding door and opened it, the warm summer wind blowing at Sync's spiky hair.

"I wasn't born a would-be self. I was never even supposed to be born. I'm basically just trash." Sync said bitterly.

"What are you talking about? Don't call yourself that!" Miki said as Sync scoffed at her.

"That's what I am! A created chara like myself that doesn't have any more use is nothing more than garbage."

"Don't say that! You're still a living being, just like the rest of us!" Ran cried.

"I'm not interested in the naïve babbling of charas who still have someone who needs them!" Sync shot back.

"Please, Sync-san! We all still have people who need us. Tadase-san still needs you." Su said floating over to Sync and extending a hand of friendship to him.

Sync narrowed his eyes, knowing he had a Guardian egg before slapping her hand away roughly. "No he doesn't. And don't talk like you and I are the same either, because we're not.

"I'm only here so Easter can use me. Other than that, this world has no use for rejects like ourselves." Sync said gravely, referring to him and Tadase.

With that, Sync flew out of the room and disappeared into the distance, leaving Tadase behind.

Amu and her charas watched sadly as Sync disappeared, shocked by his resolution. Sync and Tadase's way of thinking were very similar and thought that that could be Easter's doing as well. Amu had never thought much about Sync before since he was quiet most of the time, unlike the loud-mouthed Kiseki. But there was something about the spiky-haired chara that seemed a little off. He didn't give off the feeling of an x-egg or that of a normal chara. He feels no connection to Tadase or the world he's living in. Amu just couldn't understand what he meant by him not being born. Was it possible that he was artificially created…? Was that even possible?

Amu glanced down at the sleeping Tadase and was surprised to see such a peaceful look on his face. In this state, he looked like his normal self. No bitterness, no mockery, no pain… Just peaceful.

She kneeled down beside him and unconsciously reached out and touched the side of Tadase's face.

Amu caressed his cheek while lazily stroking it with her thumb. Amu blushed at her bold action but found herself enjoying it.

'If only I could help him regain his memories…' Amu thought to herself when Tadase suddenly winced.

* * *

Everything was shrouded in the god-forsaken fog again and the air was chilly as ice.

The darkness was muffling everything. The air, the sounds, the images…

But unlike last time, the images were slightly more visible, making it somewhat easier to see though the fog still made it hard to see exactly what was going on.

Within the fog and darkness, there was a figure walking along, seemingly to be a girl.

Around the girl were three other figures, though the fog and darkness prevented any depiction of what or who they were.

Then, there was that horrible shrilling noise again; screeching of tires echoed and the flashing lights flashed the outline of the person once again.

The sound of a heartbeat beating rapidly echoed everywhere as the sound of honking followed before covering the whole line of vision with light.

A sickening crash followed and blood splattered onto the ground…

Before Amu could react, something grabbed her wrist and she was suddenly flipped onto her back onto the floor. She opened her eyes to find a hand hovering just above a vital point on her neck.

She glanced up to see Tadase's eyes wide with terror as he was panting in quick, shallow breaths.

"T-Tadase-kun?" Amu said apparently snapping Tadase out of his trance as he looked around bewilderedly.

Tadase quickly got off her as his body started trembling uncontrollably. Sweat beaded his forehead and his eyes were still wide with a horror-stricken look to them.

Amu didn't understand it as she slowly got up as Tadase looked down at his trembling hands before bringing them to his face.

"No… No… NO!" Tadase cried as he fell to his knees while clutching his head as if trying to keep his head together.

"Tadase-kun!" Ran, Miki, and Su cried in concern as Amu rushed over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

The dream was different this time, but still the same as well as the reaction. There was just something about the dream that Tadase didn't want to see. He didn't know what it was, but he had a feeling it was something terrible. He wasn't ready to know what it was.

"Tadase-kun, what's wrong? Speak to me!" Amu pleaded while shaking his shoulders, though Tadase continued trembling uncontrollably.

"What's wrong with him, desu?" Su asked worriedly.

"It looks like he's frightened by something. A nightmare maybe?" Miki pondered.

Amu's eyes trembled, never seeing Tadase look so frightened before. It hurt her not knowing how to help him.

"Make it stop…" Tadase whimpered. "I don't… I don't want…"

Amu wrapped her arms around his trembling shoulders, pressing him comfortingly to her.

"It's all right. Calm down. Nothing's happening." Amu said soothingly, trying her best to calm him down as Tadase gritted his teeth.

In a sudden movement, Tadase brought his arms to Amu's back, pressing himself closer.

Amu's eyes softened as she laid her head against his while stroking his back soothingly.

She could feel his heartbeat increase and hugged him tighter, trying to calm him down. She didn't understand what was causing him to be so frightened but wanted to assure him that everything would be all right.

After a while, Tadase had stopped trembling and his breathing had evened out again. Whatever made him anxious had passed and Amu was relieved, feeling him finally relax.

Tadase took several deep breaths as he leaned his head against Amu's shoulder, feeling her comfort. He didn't need pity, but he did need reassurance.

Somehow, being with Amu made him feel rest assured that he'll be fine and that he'll find the answers to his questions. It puzzled him, but he hoped that feeling wasn't wrong. He wanted to know who he was. He wanted to know if he did know Amu before he lost his memory. He wanted to know if he'll ever get his memories back. So far, he still has regained nothing.

Tadase let his arms drop to his sides and slowly looked up at Amu, his eyes seemingly softened to its original light shade of ruby.

"A-Are you all right?" Amu asked as Tadase looked to the side.

Amu frowned at his silence but also took it that whatever happened, he didn't want to talk about it.

Tadase noticed her frown and narrowed his eyes at her before reaching out and grabbed hold of Amu's cheeks and lightly pulled them, stretching out her face.

"H-Hey! Ow!"

"Stop worrying about me and stop making that face. A smile suits you better." Tadase said with a slightly frustrated tone.

Ignoring his tone of voice and expression, Amu's eyes trembled with emotion after hearing his words. Though they weren't expressed in the most kindest fashion, they still had a caring and compassionate meaning behind them.

"Ow! Cud id oud!" Amu cried while struggling against Tadase's grip.

Tadase stared at her blankly for a moment before letting out a snort as a strange expression came over his face. His mouth formed a squiggle as his eye started twitching.

Ran, Miki, and Su floated up to him curiously as Amu looked at Tadase puzzled.

"Whawts da madder?" Amu said, her mouth still stretched out.

Tadase's pupils shrank as his whole face started twitching.

Suddenly, he let out another snort before letting go of Amu's face and slapped a hand over his face and broke down laughing.

Amu stared at the laughing Tadase in shock. Tadase was **_laughing_**.

Tadase couldn't believe it either as he doubled over laughing. He couldn't remember the last time he's ever laughed, definitely not during the six months of training under Easter.

"Make it stop! *Laughing* Make it stop!" Tadase cried clutching his stomach with one hand and pounding the floor with his other hand.

Amu let out a snort before joining Tadase in laughter.

Her charas smiled at the scene, after six months, Tadase was finally able to laugh and smile.

Tadase finally calmed down and was panting, exhausted from his laughing fit as he was lying on his back on the floor again.

He placed the back of his hand over his eyes before letting out a sigh. "I just don't understand you sometimes."

"Eh?" Amu said puzzled still chuckling slightly.

Tadase grinned softly. "I never thought it would be possible for me to smile and even less laugh. But somehow, you're the only one who was able to make that possible for me."

Amu's eyes trembled in emotion, a light pink blush appearing on her cheeks as Tadase let his hand fall to his side and stared up at the ceiling. "Being with you… It's both familiar yet unfamiliar. I don't know what it means, but…"

Tadase stopped and quickly sat up before rubbing the back of his head. "Ah, never mind. I was just thinking out loud.

"I'm going to go get more sleep."

"What? You've been sleeping all morning. Aren't you hungry?" Amu asked in concern as Tadase came over to her and flicked her on the forehead again.

"I told you to stop worrying about me, stupid girl." Tadase said as Amu glared at him.

"Besides, I'm more tired than anything else. I'll just come back when I get hungry." Tadase said rubbing the side of his head.

Amu twitched angrily having him calling her a stupid girl again, which seemed to be routine now. 'That attitude of his really ticks me off sometimes…'

"See ya." Tadase waved while giving Amu a mock smile as he prepared himself to jump.

"Wait!" Amu cried, causing Tadase to slip and fell on his face on the bar.

"What the hell? !" Tadase shouted, his nose bleeding from landing on the bar.

"Uh, I'm sorry!" Amu said apologetically as Su brought Tadase a tissue.

Amu hesitantly reached out and gently took his hand into hers, earning her a questioning look from Tadase.

She blushed slightly as she glanced down at the floor. "Can you stay a little longer?"

Tadase raised his eyebrows at her, slightly surprised by her question. He let out a sigh and looked over to the side stubbornly. "Fine…"

Amu was afraid that if he were to leave he wouldn't come back again. And if it had to happen again, she wanted to spend more time with him.

After a while of small talk, Tadase had fallen asleep again and was sleeping soundly next to Amu's bed on the floor again. Amu had given him a few pillows so he could be a little more comfortable.

Through out the whole conversation, Tadase hadn't once asked about Sync. It seemed as if he wasn't too concerned about him, which Amu thought was a little peculiar. It was as if that he didn't care whether Sync was with him or not.

"Amu-chan, we should leave Tadase-san to sleep a little bit." Su said.

Amu nodded and glanced back over at Tadase, seeing his mouth opening and closing, snoring softly.

She smiled softly before closing the door behind her to give him some peace and quiet.

Once the door clicked shut, Sync suddenly flew back into the room. He glanced down to find Tadase sleeping, causing him to frown.

He floated over next to him as an evil grin crossed his features.

"You're nothing. You're nothing without Easter. You've outlived your purpose. You were abandoned once, you'll be abandoned again." Sync whispered in Tadase's ear, causing Tadase's eyes to tremble as if he were having another nightmare.

Sync smirked at his work before flying out of the room and into the hallway. When he left, Dia peaked out of her egg, watching him with worried eyes.

Sync peered around the corner to see Amu sitting on the couch with her mother apparently watching tv while her little sister was posing as her father took several pictures of her.

Sync spotted Amu's charas hovering around her and narrowed his eyes. He went back around the corner and put a hand to his chin, pondering on what he should do.

An evil grin appeared on his face as he boldly flew out from around the corner and waved to Amu's charas with a fake, happy smile.

Amu spotted him immediately and was surprised to see him back… and smiling.

"What is he doing back here?" Ran asked as Su shook her head.

"Maybe we should find out what he wants." Miki suggested as Sync flew back down the hall towards Amu's room.

The three of them followed him as Amu wondered what Sync could want.

Sync flew into Amu's room as Ran, Miki, and Su followed. When they entered, Sync was no where to be seen.

"Didn't he fly in here?" Su said nervously.

"I could have sworn he did." Ran said looking around puzzled.

"Got you!"

The three of them glanced up to see a net suddenly come down on them, trapping them.

Amu heard her charas let out a cry for help, causing Amu to immediately stand up from her seat.

"Ah, uh, I need to go check on something real quick. I'll be right back." Amu said as she raced up to her room.

"Ran? Miki? Su?" Amu called as she quickly threw open the door. But all she found was an empty room. She glanced over to find that Tadase was also missing and that the screen door was hanging wide open.

"Where did…?"

"Amu-chan!"

Amu looked up to see Dia's egg fly over to her and hatched open.

"Dia? What happened? Where are the others?" Amu asked urgently as Dia looked at her sadly.

"Sync took them and flew off!" Dia said as Amu's eyes widened in shock.

'Why would he…? Tadase wouldn't have…' Amu didn't know what to think, but what really mattered right now was to find her missing charas.

Dia closed her eyes. "I can feel their presences…"

She pointed out the window. "They're that way."

Amu nodded before running out the door, saying she had to go get something at one of the stores.

Dia led her up and down some streets, saying that she could feel them getting closer. She then led Amu to the school's field.

The sky was starting to turn orange and red and the sun was starting to get lower towards the horizon.

Amu ran as fast as she could to keep up with Dia and to hurry to find her other charas.

'What's going on…? Please let them be okay.' Amu thought to herself while picking up the pace.

"Let us go, Sync!" Ran demanded as Sync looked away.

"I don't take orders from the likes of you."

Ran, Miki, and Su struggled to wriggle their way out of the net but to no avail as Sync just pulled on it to make it tighter.

"Why you… Why are you doing this?" Miki demanded as Sync glanced over at her before floating over to her.

He brought his face close to hers which was sticking out of the net and smirked. Sync placed his finger on Miki's chin and slowly slid his finger up, tilting Miki's head up.

Miki was dazed for a second as Sync smirked again before Miki got her bearings and glared at him while blushing furiously.

"Y-You jerk!" Miki shouted as Sync scoffed.

"Leave her alone, Sync!" Ran shouted.

"Guys!"

Ran, Miki, and Su glanced over to see a pink-haired figure rushing towards them.

"Amu-chan!" they all cried in relief as Sync narrowed his eyes at her before glancing up towards one of the light poles, where a shadowed figure stood.

The figure brought his arm over his head and snapped his fingers.

"There they are!" Dia said as Amu nodded.

When Amu was within a few yards of them, the field lights suddenly flashed on, blinding Amu with a burst of light.

Amu shielded her eyes while trying to see what was going on around her but it was no use.

"Ran! Miki! Su!" Amu called unable to see through the piercing light.

"Amu-chan! Look out!" Ran cried as Amu squinted and saw something heading towards her.

Acting on impulse, Amu immediately darted out of the way as the ground exploded where she last stood. Amu hit the ground hard and glanced over to find a crater where she was standing.

"It's about time you came."

Amu froze at the voice and slowly looked up over the lights to see a figure standing on top of one of the light posts, his jet-black hair blowing softly to the summer breeze.

"No… Tadase-kun…?" Amu said slowly seeing that accursed beak mask back over his face, which still had the crack down the middle but was glued back together.

He was wearing a black turtleneck with a white vested shirt that opened up in the back and went down past his knees. The white vest had green markings along the collar and the lining. He wore black pants that opened on the sides and black boots. He also had on black gloves that had black and white cuffs. His hair was black once again with none of his blond hair showing and his mouth formed a firm line underneath his mask.

In a flash of movement, Tadase disappeared and reappeared right in front of Amu causing her to flinch and back away in fear and disbelief.

He narrowed his eyes from under his mask and spoke in a dark voice, "You may have ruined things for Easter once, but I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen again."

Amu widened her eyes in horror as they started trembling. It was like Tadase had forgotten everything they've been through. All the progress they made, everything.

Tadase's hand shot up and grabbed hold of Amu's neck causing her to gasp in shock. He slowly closed his fingers around her throat as Amu desperately tried to pull his hand off.

"Please… Tadase-kun… Stop…" Amu muttered softly as a tear streaked down her cheek.

Tadase didn't respond as he wound his other fist back, which started glowing with green light.

Amu couldn't understand. She thought she and Tadase had come to an understanding and were getting closer.

"Amu!"

Tadase suddenly released Amu before jumping away as a powerful force hit the spot where he once stood.

Amu stumbled a few steps back while coughing and rubbed her sore neck. She glanced up and was surprised to see Black Lynx land in front of her.

"Ikuto?" Amu said in surprise as Ikuto glanced back at her.

"Are you okay?"

Amu nodded her head slowly as Ikuto turned his gaze back on Tadase.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Ikuto said harshly while narrowing his eyes.

Tadase didn't respond as he slowly lifted his gloved hand to his face and removed his mask, revealing dark red eyes. There was no anger, no regret, no anything. There was no emotion as if he were empty.

"My orders are clear. I am to make sure you Guardians know your place." Tadase said in an almost robotic voice.

Ikuto narrowed his eyes as Tadase brought his fists up in a fighting stance.

The two stared hard at each other for a moment before sprinting towards each other the next.

"Slash Claw!" Ikuto shouted as he thrusted his arm forward at Tadase.

Tadase jumped out of the way and brought down his foot down on Ikuto for a powerful kick.

Ikuto brought his claw up to successfully block the attack, wishing he had another claw to attack with. (Haha)

Tadase pushed off Ikuto's arm and sent a powerful blast of wind at him. Ikuto leapt high into the air and came down on Tadase with a powerful Slash Claw.

"I have no business with you. But if you insist on getting in my way, then so be it." Tadase said as his fist started glowing with a bright light and raised it above his head.

Amu widened her eyes in horror, recognizing the light of that attack. "Ikuto, get out of there!"

"Too late!" Tadase said as he slammed his palm down on the ground. "Akashic Torment!"

With that, a giant whirlwind blast erupted from the ground, sending Ikuto hurtling across the field and crashed hard into the ground soon after.

"Ikuto!" Amu cried as she rushed to the injured cat's side. "Ikuto!"

Ikuto broke out of chara nari as Yoru fell to the ground while wincing in pain.

"Ugh…" Ikuto groaned as he struggled to sit up.

Tadase was walking over towards him as Amu got in front of Ikuto and spread out her arms defensively. Tadase stopped and looked at her with disinterest.

"Tadase-kun! Please stop! Why are you doing this?" Amu demanded, her voice cracking with emotion.

Tadase didn't reply as he came forward and drove his fist into Amu's stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

"AMU-CHAN!" Amu's chara cried as Ikuto widened his eyes in complete shock.

Amu couldn't breathe as everything around her started spinning, her eyes wide with shock as they started trembling.

Amu felt her body give though Tadase was still holding her up with his arm. He leaned down to her ear and whispered, "Stay out of Easter's way, little girl."

"T-Ta… dase- ku…" Amu could only mutter before Tadase allowed her to collaps onto the ground unconscious.

* * *

_Darkness lay everywhere as Amu seemed to glow with blue light, the only thing that was illuminating within the darkness._

_Everything seemed hazy and Amu couldn't see anything through the darkness._

_"Is… Anyone there?" Amu called but there was no answer, except for a cold breeze that swept past her causing a shiver to run down her spine._

_Footsteps could be heard in the distance as Amu whirled around to see another figure walking towards her._

_Her eyes started trembling when she realized it was Tadase, the old Tadase. He was also glowing with a blue light that illuminated the darkness. He wore the same kind smile that he always had before the accident and extended a gentle hand towards her._

_Amu reached out towards him with her own hand but was suddenly held back as someone took hold of her other hand._

_Amu looked over her shoulder to see a darkened figure grasping her other hand, preventing her from getting any closer. The only thing that was visible was his glowing, dark red eyes that pierced through the darkness._

_Amu let out a gasp and tried to get out of the shadow figure's grasp but to an avail. The shadow figure tightened his grip on Amu's wrist causing her to squeak in pain._

_"Tadase-kun!" Amu cried for help as she looked back over at Tadase and reached out towards him, but was held back by the shadow figure._

_She widened her eyes as they started trembling to see that Tadase had turned his back to her and was walking away._

_"Tadase-kun!" Amu cried again desperately but Tadase continued on, not looking back or even hesitating._

_Amu slowly allowed her hand to fall back to her side as she stared after him with a mixture of confusion and hurt. _

**_"He's gone. He's abandoned you." _**

_Amu froze as she slowly looked over at the shadow figure who suddenly revealed himself to be Tadase as well. Her eyes widened in horror as Tadase grinned evilly. _

**_"Tadase is never coming back. He was manipulating you into believing he was turning back to normal. He is fully loyal to Easter." _**_Tadase said darkly, his red eyes glinting in the darkness._

_Amu stared at him in disbelief before wrenching her hand out of his grip and took a few steps back. She couldn't believe that Tadase wasn't coming back and shook her head slowly._

_"No… You're lying!" Amu cried as Shadow Tadase placed a hand on his hip and smirked amusingly._

**_"You mean nothing to him. You've never meant anything to him."_**

Amu awoke with a gasp while sitting up in bed with a jolt.

She was breathing heavily as she wrapped her arms around herself to try and steady herself.

"Amu-chan!"

Amu looked over to see Dia hovering close to her with a look of concern on her face.

She let out a sigh and gave Amu a small smile. "I'm glad you're all right."

"How did I…?" Amu started.

"After you passed out, Tadase left but took Ran, Miki, and Su with him," Dia said a bit bitterly. "Ikuto was the one who carried you back to your room. He was still pretty injured but managed to bring you back here. He left after he was sure you were all right."

Amu looked down at her lap. 'Ikuto…'

The memory of Tadase attacking them came back in a rush causing Amu's heart to wrench. She slowly shook her head, not knowing what was happening and why Tadase didn't seem to remember anything that had happened between them.

Somehow, her dream seemed to make sense. All those times when he was smiling… Were they all a lie?

"Why so down? You sick or something?"

Amu's eyes widened at the sound of the voice and whirled around to see Tadase in the doorway to the balcony. He had a curious expression on his face and tilted his head puzzled. His hair was matted down again and wearing the same clothes he had before he left…

Anger and sadness boiled deep down inside Amu's heart as she looked down at the ground while her shoulders started trembling.

Tadase lifted and eyebrow as he slowly walked over to her bedside. "Hey, what's the matter?"

Amu bit down on her lip. "How could you…?"

"Hm?" Tadase said, obviously confused or he was just playing stupid.

Amu glared up at him, tears ready to fall. "Don't act stupid, you traitor!"

Tadase raised his eyebrows in confusion as Amu stood up from her bed abruptly, her eyes trembling in emotion and anger.

"Who do you think you are? Attacking me and having the nerve to come back here, acting like nothing's wrong!" Amu shouted as Tadase narrowed his eyes at her.

"What are you saying? Are you saying that I…" Tadase was cut off when Amu came forward and wound up to punch him.

Amu struck him across the face again, leaving a stunned expression on Tadase's face. He stared to the side with a mixture of confusion and hurt as he slowly brought his hand to his face.

"What…?" Tadase mumbled in complete shock.

Amu glared furiously at him while on the brink of crying, causing him to flinch slightly.

"You idiot! I can't believe I trusted you! Baka! Baka! Baka! Baka!" Amu shouted as tears started streaming down her face.

Tadase's eyes started trembling with emotion before hiding his eyes behind his bangs.

"Amu-chan…" Dia said as Amu violently shook her head.

"I never want to see you again, you low life!" Amu shouted as she attempted to punch him again.

Tadase brought up his hand and caught her fist this time causing a small slapping sound. Amu gasped and looked up at him. Tadase wore an unreadable expression before he suddenly gritted his teeth.

He suddenly pushed her up against the wall and slammed his hands against the wall, trapping Amu in the middle.

Amu widened her eyes in shock as Tadase started trembling as he balled his hands into fists against the wall.

He tried to speak, but couldn't say anything. No words could come out. He couldn't even describe the feeling he was experiencing.

_"I can't believe I trusted you!"_

_"I never want to see you again, you low life!"_

Tadase's arms relaxed and slowly pulled away from the wall as they slowly fell to his side.

"I get it." He didn't look at Amu and turned his back to her and walked towards the screen door without a word.

"Ah…" Amu said but clamped her mouth shut as Tadase paused at the doorway.

Tadase looked over at her and gave her such an intense glare; it shot fear through her heart. His eyes were dark red with a mixture of anger and hate.

Amu had never seen such a look from him before, even when he was shouting curses at her before.

"To think I actually trusted you. I'm such a fool." Tadase said darkly, the shine in his eyes already faded away.

Amu widened her eyes in shock. She didn't understand. Why was Tadase…?

Tadase clutched his chest as if in pain while wincing. "When I lost my memories, I had lost everything… Everything except my heart. I don't know what it was, but something prevented me from letting it go. But now… if I knew it would cause me this much pain… I should have just let it die along with everything else!"

Something shot out of Tadase's pocket and up into the air causing both Dia and Amu to flinch.

Amu was struck speechless when she realized it was a Guardian egg. It wasn't Kiseki's egg, which confused Amu, for it had no crown on it. Instead, it was a white egg with a gold sphere on the front, surrounded by eight orange spheres, lined by a blue stripe.

Before Amu could ask about it, the white egg turned completely black and a giant white X appeared over it.

**"I am nothing… I have no purpose…"** the X-egg chanted as Tadase narrowed his eyes.

"That's right. I am a nobody. I feel nothing in my heart." Tadase said almost inaudibly.

With that, Tadase jumped off the balcony and ran away as fast as he could with the X-egg flying after him.

* * *

'To think I allowed myself to become this vulnerable... I'm a fool! An idiotic low life!' Tadase shouted in his head.

After a while of running he came to a stop, trying to catch his breath before falling to his knees, clutching his chest.

"Gah!" Tadase cursed under his breath as he clenched his eyes closed, wincing in pain.

"That stupid girl!

**"I am nothing… I have no purpose…" **the X-egg said behind him as Tadase writhed in pain.

The X-egg chanted the same thing over and over again as Tadase placed his hands over his ears.

"Silence."

The X-egg flinched before being swatted aside by a hand causing Tadase to glance up.

A tall, dark skinned man with light brown hair that was tied in a ponytail and a beard stood next to him. He wore a business suit and was looking down at him through piercing blue eyes.

"Van… sensei…?" Tadase said in surprise seeing his martial artist teacher here of all places.

Van gave Tadase an encouraging smile before bending down next to him. "That girl… Caused you much pain, didn't she?"

Tadase looked hard at the ground while gritting his teeth and narrowed his eyes dangerously.

Van grinned suspiciously as he placed his hand on Tadase's head and leaned close to his ear.

"Hiroto, forget about that girl. She is nothing but a nuisance. Forget about all the hurtful things she told you, all the lies she told you. Focus on your anger, your hatred for the people who hurt you. Remember all the people who betrayed you, who abandoned you. They all lied to you." Van said as Tadase's eyes narrowed while trembling.

"I'm the only one you can depend on, no one else. Focus only on my voice and obey my commands…" Van said softly as Tadase's eyes glazed over and slowly started closing.

"You are only a tool and that's what you always will be."

**To be continued…**

* * *

Arg! I put quite a few Amuto moments here, boo. Let's just say, I didn't enjoy writing that part very much. =_= Anyways, things got pretty complex in this chapter. I still kind of eh about this chapter, but I hope you all enjoyed it, 'cause that's what really counts. Tell me your thoughts or suggestions, all but flames are appreciated. Please Review! XD


	11. Dark Ambitions

Sorry for the wait! But here's the next chapter!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara or Tales of the Abyss or their characters**

**Chapter 11: Dark Ambitions**

"Van, the machine is up and running, along with the test subjects." A soft yet haughty voice asked.

Van stepped into the dimly lit room and looked over the monitors.

A man with light violet hair wearing a pair of glasses was quickly typing quickly on a computer with skinny gloved fingers. He wore a black suit with a rather unique collar that was pink that stood up like peacock feathers. He was sitting in a rather outrageous looking chair and wore a crazed grin.

"Everything is ready to be put into execution." The man said as Van grinned.

"Excellent." Van said as he pushed down on one of the buttons on the keyboard causing a symbol to flash onto the screen.

An alarm sounded in the Easter building as security raced through the halls, searching for the problem.

"What is going on?" Tsukumo cried as Manta and Chichimura were running back and forth in a panic.

Director Hoshina came out of his office with a mix of confusion and rage. "What in the world is happening?"

"We don't know, sir. But there's something going on down in the underground levels-"

A sudden yell interrupted the security guard's report as another security guard was thrown against the wall.

The Director flinched as the thrown security guard fell to the ground in heap. He glanced over just in time to dodge out of the way of several more of his security guards flying across the hall and slammed hard against the wall.

He whirled around to see Tadase walking down the hallway in his black and white clothes, his hair fully spiked.

Another pair of security guards rushed at him but Tadase jumped and kicked one security guard in the head, knocking him out instantly. He then rushed towards the other and thrusted his open palm into the guard's stomach and sent him flying across the hall with a burst of energy, slamming him into the wall, knocking him out.

"Hiroto? W-What are you-?" Director Hoshina cried backing up against the wall as Tadase's dark ruby eyes focused on him as he started walking down towards him.

"S-Stay back! I order you to stop! Hiroto!" Director Hoshina cried as he started backing up quickly.

Tadase ignored his pleas as he continued walking towards him. The Director tried to get away, but tripped over one of his unconscious security guards and fell to the floor with a loud thud.

Tadase reached down and grabbed the man by the collar, yanking him upwards. The man's eyes were trembling with fear as Tadase looked at him emotionlessly.

"Well done, Hiroto."

Director Hoshina glanced over to see Van walking towards them with an evil grin on his face.

Tsukumo, Manta, and Chichimura peeked nervously from around the corner as Van slowly approached the Director and Tadase.

"Van… What are you…?" Director Hoshina said somewhere between a growl and a nervous whisper.

Tadase silenced him by jerking him upwards slightly as Van let out a hearty chuckle.

Van lowered his gaze down to the Director's height and gave him a dark smirk. "I am in control now. And no one, not you or the Guardians are going to stop me. Take him away."

Tadase nodded as he dragged the Director down the hall, who pleaded for him to stop and struggled against Tadase's unloosening grip.

Van grinned as four figures appeared behind him and saluted.

"Sir, we're ready to initiate the plan at your will." A girl with blond hair that was tied up into a spiky ponytail said almost robotically.

"Very well." Van said, his eyes darkening as a devious grin appeared on his lips.

* * *

Nagihiko's house:

An earsplitting shrill resonated through the entire city, causing a commotion. Dogs started barking and people placed their hands on their ears painfully from the sound.

Nagihiko was just in the middle of practicing his dance, when the shrilling noise caused him to stumble before placing his hands on his ears in pain from the high frequency.

His mother was on her knees as well, wincing from the sound.

Nagihiko got his bearings before quickly getting off the stage and rushed outside.

The sound was even louder outside causing him to get a headache and fell to his knees.

"Nagihiko!" Rhythm cried as Temari floated next to him worriedly.

Nagihiko narrowed his eyes as he held his head in pain. "What is Easter up to now?"

* * *

Ikuto immediately winced upon hearing the earsplitting high frequency and lost his balance on the catwalk and landed on the sidewalk, just barely managing to land on his feet.

"Ikuto! Are you okay?" Yoru asked also wincing from the shrilling noise.

"That doesn't matter right now. The noise is coming from the Easter building." Ikuto said narrowing his eyes while still wincing.

"Something bad is happening there. I can feel it, nya." Yoru said as Ikuto grunted in response before swiftly walking towards the building while holding his head.

The image of Tadase's dark, emotionless expression flashed across Ikuto's mind, causing him to narrow his eyes.

'Tadase…'

* * *

Amu was sitting on her bed, hugging her pillow to her chest while looking at the floor with a downcast expression.

"What have I done?" Amu said to herself, guilt and sadness all bottled up inside her as Dia floated next to her.

_"You idiot! I can't believe I trusted you! Baka! Baka! Baka! Baka!"_

Amu's eyes trembled with emotion, remembering all the hurtful things she had said to Tadase a few days back.

_"I never want to see you again, you low life!"_

Tadase had disappeared again and Amu couldn't blame him for how she had yelled at him so harshly. It had already been a week and Amu had seen no sign of him since the incident.

"I can't believe I said those things to him…" Amu said burying her face in her pillow. When she was yelling at him, her words were filled with such hostility and malice; she couldn't believe how whole-heartedly she had said those words. She had never yelled such things in anger before and it hurt her knowing she had yelled that at someone, especially at Tadase of all people.

Though she didn't notice it at the time in her anger, she realized how hurt and confused Tadase looked when she first started yelling at him. She then pictured the look of pure betrayal and hatred in Tadase's eyes when he left. The thought nailed her heart with guilt, feeling like she might have made a mistake.

'But…' Amu thought to herself when she recalled how Tadase had willingly hurt both her and Ikuto without a single hesitation. He had even kidnapped her charas.

Amu shook her head as she buried her face deeper into the pillow.

She was so confused.

Tadase's embarrassed smile… The way he laughed so heartily… The emotionless expression on Tadase's face… The look of hurt and confusion on Tadase's face…

Amu's body trembled. She didn't know what to believe. Could the person that attacked them not have been Tadase? But he had the same color eyes and the exact same features.

_"Stop smiling at me like that. It's making me feel uncomfortable, besides you look like a dork when you do that, stupid girl."_

_"None of your business… Stupid girl."_

_"You should be more careful, stupid girl."_

_"Be a little more careful with yourself, stupid girl."_

_"I told you to stop worrying about me, stupid girl."_

Though Amu had always hated him calling her that, somehow she had grown fond of the nickname, since it was his way of acknowledging her. She missed him calling her that even when she yelled at him for it.

_"Stay out of Easter's way, little girl."_

Amu's gaze shot up from the pillow and stifled a gasp. Something was wrong. The only time he had called her "little girl" was before she had tried to reach out to him, when he was still referred to as Hiroto.

Before she could question the subject further, a high frequency shrilling noise interrupted her thoughts, causing both her and Dia to place their hands on their ears.

"Ah!" Amu cried pressing her hands harder onto her ears.

"Amu-chan, are you all right?" Dia asked in concern floating next to her.

Amu glanced out the window to see birds fly frantically out of the tress in the distance.

"Ugh, that noise…" Amu said as Dia closed her eyes, concentrating on something other than the noise.

"I sense a large gathering of X-eggs." Dia said looking out the window.

"Easter." Amu said in realization before quickly rushing down the stairs, almost falling down in the process, but kept her bearings and raced out of the door.

Amu raced down the street, her head pounding from the constant shrilling sound as Dia led the way to the Easter building where she sensed an overwhelming amount of X-eggs.

Amu was running out of breath and wished that Ran was with her, which only drove her to run harder in determination.

'I'm going to get them back… No matter what, I'll definitely get them back.' Amu said to herself confidently.

When the Easter building came into sight, the noise finally died down, returning everything to normal.

'I have a bad feeling about this…' Amu said to herself.

As she drew closer, she was surprised to see the other Guardians rushing over to the Easter building along with Utau, Kairi, and Kukai.

"Guys!" Amu called as she rushed over to them.

"Ah! Amu-chi!" Yaya said as Amu paused to catch her breath.

"Looks like we all had the same idea on who was behind the strange frequency." Nagihiko said.

"Man, I was just in the middle of soccer practice when that noise made me miss the goal." Kukai said as Nagihiko sweatdropped.

"Amu, where are the rest of your charas?" Rima asked noticing only Dia was with her as Amu looked down at the ground sadly.

"T-They're not with me right now…" Amu said slowly, causing Nagihiko to look at her worriedly.

Utau walked over to her side, not looking at her as she spoke, "Then we'll just have to get them back."

Amu looked at her in surprise as Utau gave her a small smile. "Right?"

Amu stared at her for a moment before smiling brightly. "Right!"

Utau's smile faded when she looked around curiously. "Well that's strange."

"What?" Amu asked puzzled.

"There aren't any security guards anywhere. Usually, Easter is crawling with security." Utau said suspiciously as Amu looked around and was also surprised to see no one around as well.

The ground suddenly shifted from under then causing them to stumble slightly.

Above them, the sky turned dark and there seemed to be a giant threatening cloud hanging over the Easter building. Purple lightning flashed from above causing everyone to flinch.

All of the charas shuddered, feeling a great amount of dark energy coming from the cloud.

"I don't like the feeling of that." Daichi said nervously.

"It feels scary." Eru said trembling in fear as Iru was shaking beside her.

"We have to stop whatever they're doing, let's go!" Amu said as they all headed into the building.

When they entered the building, they were surprised to find that there weren't any security guards patrolling the lobby either.

Kairi narrowed his eyes before pushing his glasses higher up on his face. "This is quite strange. There aren't any security inside the building either."

"Everyone, be on your guard." Nagihiko said as everyone nodded.

The building was unusually quiet and there was absolutely no one around in the lobby, not even at the reception desk, causing everyone to be a little anxious.

"It's completely deserted." Kukai said in surprise as they walked through the lobby and into one of the hallways.

"Mow, Yaya doesn't like this place." Yaya whimpered. "It's like something scary is just waiting to jump out at us- WAH!"

Yaya let out a cry as she suddenly tripped over something and fell hard on the floor.

"Yaya, are you okay?" Amu asked whirling around.

"Yeah, but Yaya tripped over some heavy thing…" Yaya trailed off when she realized she had tripped over a person, causing her to let out an ear-splitting shriek.

Kairi knelt down and placed a hand on the man's neck and let out a sigh, feeling a pulse, indicating the man was still alive but was just knocked out.

"He's just unconscious." Kairi said as Yaya let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness, Yaya was about to have a heart attack." Yaya said as Kairi sweatdropped.

Nagihiko looked down the hall and let out a gasp when he saw the hall littered with unconscious security guards.

"Well, I guess we know what happened to security now." Kukai said.

"But who could have done this? And does that mean that Easter isn't the one responsible?" Rima asked as Nagihiko brought his hand to his chin thoughtfully.

"We'll just have to find out." Utau said before walking down the hall, her long pigtails swinging from side-to-side.

A sudden pounding came from one of the doors, causing everyone to flinch.

Nagihiko cautiously approached the door before it suddenly flew open and the Tsukumo, Manta, and Chichimura suddenly stumbled out of the room and fell on top or each other as many cleaning supplies and other objects came crashing down on them and onto the floor.

"Please, don't hurt us!" Tsukumo cried putting up his hands in front of him.

"Oh, calm down. It's just the Guardians." Manta said as Tsukumo looked up with a blank expression.

"What were you doing… In the utility closet?" Utau asked as the three of them sweatdropped.

"W-We were hiding…" Tsukumo said causing everyone to get curious.

"From what?" Amu asked.

"From Van!" Manta said frantically.

"Who's Van?" Utau asked, never hearing of the man before.

"He was hired by Easter several months ago, only a couple months before Tadase-kun's kidnapping actually. Van is a brilliant man who seems to share the Director's ambitions and the Director had full faith in him. He has been working on this project that involves X-eggs but we were unsure of what it actually was. We were always a little suspicious of what his real plans involved. And it seemed as if our suspicions were correct as he has now taken over the building and is holding the Director somewhere." Chichimura explained frantically.

Amu and the others looked at them in shock and were surprised that someone had overtaken Easter without too much difficulty it seemed.

"We'll just have to stop him then." Amu said as the others nodded.

"He's planning something diabolical, I just know it! I mean, he's created these monsters from X-eggs. Who knows what he plans on doing with them." Manta said nervously.

"We were lucky to have evaded Van's detection or else we would have been dragged off to who knows where like the Director." Tsukumo said rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Or taken out like these guards. Who knew that kid could cause so much damage without breaking a sweat?" Manta added as Amu looked over at him curiously.

'Could Tadase-kun have done this…?' Amu thought to herself, remembering Tadase's cold, hard expression when he attacked her.

_"Stay out of Easter's way, little girl."_

"AMU-CHI! HURRY UP!" Yaya called from nearly at the end of the hall along with everyone else.

"Ah! Wait for me!" Amu cried running to catch up with them.

Tsukumo, Manta, and Chichimura lead the way to the roof where they said that Van was waiting.

When they passed by a darkened hallway, they failed to notice a familiar spiky-haired figure standing in the shadows.

He reached over and uncovered a hidden switch before flipping it, having a large hole suddenly appear underneath the Guardians' feet.

"Eh?" Amu cried before she and the others fell down the dark, vast pit trap.

"AHHHHHHH!"

Their shouts echoed off the walls of the trap door as Tadase walked up to the edge of the hole, looking down at it with emotionless ruby orbs.

"And so it begins…" he muttered before walking away.

Though Amu couldn't see everyone through the darkness, she could tell they were falling all around her. In another instant, she suddenly saw light at the bottom of the hole and before she knew it, hit the ground quite hard as the others piled up on top of her.

"AAHH! Get off! You all are killing me down here!" Amu shouted, apparently being the lucky one of being on the very bottom of the pile.

Everyone quickly got up off each other and looked around, finding them in an elevator-like space. The walls were light blue and seemed to have red sensors running up and down the walls.

"What happened? And where are we?" Rima asked as Utau shot the three stooges a glare.

"You led us into this, didn't you?"

"No! No! You got it all wrong! We didn't do anything!" Tsukumo cried when suddenly the room started moving upwards with a jerk causing everyone to stumble a bit.

"It feels like we're in an elevator." Kairi said adjusting his glasses.

"Where is it taking us?" Amu asked.

"It might be taking us to the roof. Where Van is." Chichimura said worriedly before a clicking noise suddenly sounded.

**"Welcome, Guardians. Good of you to join us."**

Everyone flinched and looked around before turning their attention to a speaker that was just above the door to the room.

**"You must have heard of me by now, so I'll skip over the introductions." **Van said over the speaker.

**"You all have come to stop me correct? This room is bringing you to where I am. Don't worry; I don't plan on ambushing you all. All fights will be fought at the right time and place, I assure you. Now, allow me to show you the extent of my research."**

With that, the elevator had come to a stop and the doors slowly opened to reveal an open area of some sort.

Everyone cautiously stepped out of the elevator and onto the metallic floor that spread throughout the whole roof. Standing on the opposite side, was Van with a giant intimidating machine behind him.

"Well, good luck all of you!" Tsukumo said before he and other two ran back into the elevator causing Amu and the others to sweatdrop before turning their attention back on Van.

"What a bunch of cowards." Utau mumbled.

"Van!" Amu shouted coming forward as Van smiled.

"Ah, you must be the Joker, Amu Hinamori. Or should I say, ex-Joker, no matter. I welcome all of you to what will revolutionize the world!" Van announced.

"What are you planning on doing?" Utau asked as Van placed his hand behind his back.

"A very good question indeed, Utau Hoshina. This machine here beside me emits a high frequency, the same frequency that Hiroto used previously, or an even higher frequency to which a human cannot hear to attract a large quantity of X-eggs. By drawing the power of negative feelings from said X-eggs, I will be able to harness that power, making it my own. I will then be able to create a new world, a world without Heart's Eggs."

Everyone stared at Van in complete shock as Amu came forward.

"T-That's crazy!" Amu cried in disbelief. "How can you even think of destroying something so precious to everyone!"

Van closed his eyes. "Someone as childish as yourself wouldn't understand my ambitions. This world is filled with pain and grief. This is all because of man's negative feelings and idiocy. By extracting all feelings, the positive and negative, man will not be prone to do such things as to cause pain and sorrow.

"Heart's eggs are inessential, worthless, mere child fantasies. They are formed by weak hearts who have little confidence in their own abilities. Pitiful really. And when that is not enough, you seek this object called the Embryo to fulfill what you cannot achieve. If one is to achieve their dream, they should do so by using their own two hands instead of depending on some object that is nothing but a myth."

"How… How can you say that? Heart's Eggs are not worthless; they hold the dreams and hopes of everyone! Heart's eggs are what helps the child learn what they are truly capable of. It's true that some may become plagued with negative feelings, but in the end, they realize that they do have the potential to make their dreams come true!" Amu shot-back, though Van looked disinterested in her resolve.

"Such naïve words, but I expect nothing more coming from a child." Van said as Amu was taken aback by his words.

Van walked over to the machine and pulled out a sword and examined it. "Yes, words will mean nothing unless acted upon. If you think what you believe in is equitable, then you will do everything in your power to defend it!"

Van pointed his sword at them as he narrowed his eyes. "It is obvious that we cannot see eye to eye so… Prepare yourselves… Guardians!"

"My heart… Unlock!" Amu and the others cried as they all performed a Character Transformation.

"Character Transformation: Clown Drop!"

"Dear Baby!"

"Beat Jumper!"

"Sky Jack!"

"Samurai Soul!"

"Lunatic Charm!"

"Amulet Diamond!"

Van smirked before plunging his sword into an indent in the ground. "Ah, the famous Character Transformations. This is my first time witnessing such events. No matter, you shall not succeed."

The action suddenly caused the building to vibrate as the metal floor suddenly extended off the edge of the roof, creating more space to move on and making a metal field of some sort. On the edges were six lightning rod-like machines that lined the arena. The platform that Van was standing on then started to rise high into the air, bringing Van closer to the dark cloud. The machine behind Van started whirring loudly as the dark purple cloud hanging overhead continued growing, sending large bolts of lighting cascading down onto the lightning rods, seemingly to bring the arena to life.

Amu suddenly realized that the dark cloud that was swirling above the building were hundreds, possibly even thousands of X-eggs.

"Ah, yes… More negative feelings and you all shall be set free. Now, come forth, God-Generals and show these Guardians the true meaning of power!" Van cried as the arena started shaking again.

Amu stood her ground, even though she didn't know what was coming as the others seemed to have the same resolve.

Suddenly, five figures arose from small platforms that came from a lower level of the building before clicking into place on the arena.

"Asch the Bloody," Van said referring to a boy with long red hair and orange yellow eyes who was standing to the left. His bangs were gelled back, sticking straight up and wore black clothing that was lined with silver lining and had a red outline of what seemed to be a heart on the front of his uniform.

"Legretta the Quick," A girl with long blond hair that was tied up into a ponytail with dark violet eyes stood confidently with a pair of guns on her sides to the left corner of the arena. She wore a black jumpsuit and a long cloak over it with a yellow and red stripe going down the middle. There were a pair of wing outlines that draped over her shoulders and wore long black boots.

"Arietta the Wild," A petite little girl with long red-pink hair that curled at the tips with golden yellow eyes stood in the far right corner. She wore a white suit lined with pink and a small white hat with little balls that hung down at the ends. She had black under armor and long white sleeves with pink cuffs. She had on long white and pink boots to match. She also seemed to be carrying a strange doll of some sort that seemed to be made of three separate dolls that were sewn together. Behind her was a menacing tiger-like monster that seemed to give off an X-egg aura.

"Largo the Black Lion," A tall young male with heavy looking armor stood to the right. His helmet seemed to hide his head and it was difficult to see his hair color and his face. He held a giant scythe in his right hand and his left arm was covered in armor with a claw at the end. He seemed to be wearing black clothing underneath, though it was difficult to make out underneath all the armor.

"And you've already met Hiroto the Tempest, I presume?" Tadase stood in the middle of the four other God-Generals; his hair spiked and wore the same clothing he wore when he had confronted Amu and Ikuto in a few days prior.

Amu gasped as Tadase stared at her through empty ruby eyes that seemed almost transparent.

Kairi gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes as he brought his swords in front of him. "King, though I respect you, I will still fight you with all I have!"

Tadase looked at him with indifference as Van chuckled.

"You are all very strong-willed, but that alone will not be enough. Now, draw your weapons and fight with every ounce of determination and skill you have!" Van said loudly as the five God-Generals rushed forward towards the Guardians.

Tadase lunged at Kairi full sprint before jumping high in the air and wound his leg up for a kick.

Kairi quickly blocked the attack with his swords before swinging them back at Tadase, causing him to flip backwards. Kairi narrowed his eyes as Tadase brought his fists up in a fighting stance.

The two lunged towards each other, but before Kairi could strike, Tadase jumped over him much to Kairi's surprise. Before Kairi could question his actions, Largo suddenly charged at him and struck him in the side with his giant scythe, sending him skidding across the field.

"Inchou!" Yaya cried as she rushed towards him but was suddenly cut off by Arietta riding the giant tiger monster creature.

The monster let out a threatening growl while baring its jagged, sharp teeth. Yaya whimpered while slowly backing up as Rima came forward and sent a barrage of clown pin missiles at them.

The monster jumped out of the way and let out a roar before coming down on Yaya and Rima, its claws unsheathed.

"Tightrope Dancer!" Rima cried while shooting her tightrope at the monster, tying up its feet and sent it crashing to the ground.

Arietta jumped off the monster's back and landed gracefully on the ground on her feet. She glanced over at the monster before holding up her doll-like thing towards the sky as it started glowing.

The monster was suddenly enveloped in green light before it let out a terrifying roar and slashed through Rima's ropes and lunged towards her and Yaya.

"Duckie Dash!" Yaya cried as she sent an army of rubber ducks at the monster.

Unfortunately, one look at the monster's ferocity and the ducks retreated, much to Yaya's dismay.

"Juggling Party!" Rima sent a flurry of clown pin missiles at the monster, causing a massive explosion.

The monster landed hard on the ground before slowly getting back onto all fours and let out a threatening growl at the two girls again causing them to take a step back.

On the other side of the arena, Utau was doing her best at avoiding fiery bullets from Legretta. Utau twirled out of the way of several more bullets before sending out a hurricane of black butterflies from her hands.

A giant fireball appeared over Legretta's head before pointing her gun at Utau. "Searing Sorrow."

The fireball flew towards Utau and collided with her attack, causing a massive explosion before Utau lunged at Legretta with her Nightmare Trident.

Legretta blocked Utau's strike by putting her two guns up above her head. Utau glared at her before widening her eyes in realization.

"Wait… You…"

"Golden Victory Shoot!"

"Blaze Shoot!"

Kukai and Nagihiko simultaneously sent their attacks shooting towards Asch with amazing speed and power.

Asch jumped over the attacks as an explosion followed before pointing his black sword at the two boys.

"Havoc Strike!" Asch cried as he came down on them diagonally with his sword in front glowing with red energy.

Kukai and Nagihiko jumped out of the way as Asch landed on the ground hard before turning around and plunging his sword into the ground.

"Icicle Rain!"

Nagihiko looked up just to see long pointed icicles starting to cascade down on them from above.

Kukai got onto his air board and quickly grabbed Nagihiko before Asch's attack hit the ground where they once stood.

"Geez, these guys are pretty serious." Kukai said as Nagihiko looked back over at Asch who was watching them through hollow eyes.

After looking at Asch's face for a while, realization suddenly hit Nagihiko as he widened his eyes in disbelief.

Kukai noticed his expression before giving him a puzzled look. "What?"

"It can't be… But, when I look at Asch's face… It's like I'm looking in a mirror." Nagihiko said as Kukai lifted an eyebrow.

"What does that mean?" Kukai asked as Nagihiko shook his head.

"I don't know what's going on… But Asch and I have the exact same face. Look."

Kukai looked back down at Asch and realized with a start that he and Nagihiko did have the exact same features and eye color. The only thing that had thrown Kukai off was the color of his hair and the total emptiness in his eyes.

"How is that possible? Unless…"

Nagihiko nodded. "One of the Easter workers said that Van was creating monsters… What if he was referring to these so-called God-Generals?"

"So you see it too?"

Kukai and Nagihiko looked to the side to see that Utau had switched into Seraphic Charm and was flying beside them.

"I just noticed it a little while ago too, but the one named Legretta has my exact features-" Utau quickly flew out of the way as a fireball went souring past them.

"But not all of them are us, right?" Kukai asked as Nagihiko narrowed his eyes.

"I don't think so, since there aren't enough of them." Nagihiko said before Kukai's air board suddenly jerked. They both looked over to see that Asch had somehow gotten up to them and was hanging off the edge of the air board with one hand.

"Hey! No hitch hikers, you freak!" Kukai shouted as Nagihiko sweatdropped.

Asch raised his sword and with one swift motion, cut off one of the air board's engines causing it to spiral out of control.

Asch jumped off as Nagihiko and Kukai crashed to the ground.

"Kukai! Nagihiko!" Amu cried before glaring over at Van who looked back at her with an unreadable expression.

Amu gritted her teeth before jumping up towards the platform where Van stood.

Van turned his back on her as he started walking towards the machine's controls.

"Van! Stop this at once! You can't possibly know what you're doing!" Amu said as she rushed towards him, only to be stopped by a man with light purple hair sitting in a floating chair.

"Stop right there, little girl. Don't interrupt Van when he's in the middle of the ultimate climax of the plan!" the man shouted while pointing accusingly at Amu.

Amu shook her head vigorously. "I can't allow you to take away everyone's Heart's Eggs! You'll be taking everyone's hopes and dreams away if you do that!"

Van scoffed, keeping his back to her as he placed his hands behind his back. "That's an empty argument."

He snapped his fingers and Amu was suddenly knocked to the ground when someone did a sweep kick right under her legs.

Amu looked up and widened her eyes to see Tadase standing over her with such an empty look. His eyes were a pale ruby and seemed as if they were diluted.

Tadase wound up his fist as Amu quickly brought up her globe-microphone and created a barrier around her before he struck the surface with a powerful strike.

Amu winced from feeling the intense power of the attack as Tadase continued pounding against her shield with his fists.

"Tadase-kun, please stop! I know you're still in there somewhere, so please…" Amu cried but Tadase didn't stop and continued attacking with such a distant and cold look.

Amu closed her eyes as she strained to keep her shield up, sweat beading her forehead. 'I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!'

Just as Amu couldn't take much more, Tadase jumped away much to her surprise.

At first, Amu thought that she might have gotten through to him but suddenly his body was consumed in flames and he spiraled right towards her.

Amu didn't have any time to react as Tadase shot right through Amu's already weakened shield, sending her flying backwards.

_"Amu-chan, are you all right?"_ Dia cried.

Amu pushed herself off the ground and winced, feeling a sharp pain in her ankle.

Tadase slowly walked over to her as Amu looked up at him pleadingly.

"Tadase-kun…"

Tadase reached down and placed a hand over Amu's eyes and roughly lifted her up into the air with one hand.

"Amu!" Rima cried as she started towards her but Arietta blocked her path by stepping in front of her with her monster growling behind her.

Rima glared at Arietta as Arietta hid her face a little with her deformed doll.

"You're battle is with me." Arietta said quietly as Rima flinched before staring intently at her face.

"No… It can't be…" Rima said backing away from her, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

"Bloody Howling!" Arietta cried as a dark energy erupted from the ground underneath Rima, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Rima-tan!" Yaya cried as she rushed forward and sent her ducks at Arietta.

Arietta jumped out of the way and back onto the monster's back as Rima was freed from the attack and collapsed onto the ground.

"Rima-tan! Rima-tan!" Yaya cried as she rushed to Rima's side and started shaking her.

Rima slowly lifted her head as she pointed over at Amu. "Don't worry about me, help… Amu."

Tadase narrowed his eyes as he tightened his grip on Amu, causing her to cry out in pain as she reached up and gripped his wrist with both hands.

_"Amu-chan!" _Dia cried.

Amu tried to say something but her throat ran dry and couldn't mutter a word as a tear streaked down her cheek causing her to break out of her Character Transformation.

'All those times that we spent together… Did they really mean nothing to you…?'

Dia fell to the ground and quickly got back up and flew back towards Amu.

Before she could reach her, Sync suddenly flew out in front of her and kicked her down.

"Stay out of the way." Sync said narrowing his cold green eyes.

Tadase glanced over at Van who just waved a hand. He then proceeded to walk over to the edge and held Amu out to the edge of the platform.

Van grinned before turning his attention to the dark cloud of X-eggs looming overhead.

Dist typed a few things into the machine, causing the machine to start vibrating while pulsing with dark energy.

The giant cloud of X-eggs started circling as more X-eggs were adding themselves to the giant mass.

Van spread his arms apart as if welcoming something as an evil grin graced his lips.

"Yes… My dream is no mere dream any longer… I've made it into reality with my own two hands! And now… Prepare for the birth of a new world!" Van cried victoriously as he started laughing maniacally.

**To be continued...**

* * *

This was a difficult one to make, but I think I did okay, what do you guys think? I was planning on making this the last chapter, but it got too long and I just couldn't fit everything. So that means... The next chapter will definately be the last chapter! Hope you all enjoyed, please review! (I was sad to see so much of you read the last chapter but didn't review...)


	12. Tadase's Choice

Okay... I lied, this isn't the last chapter. It got too long and I had to cut it down... again. Well, I hope you all enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara or Tales of the Abyss or their characters**

**Chapter 12: Tadase's Choice**

_"Without me, you have no purpose. Unless you have forgotten that your own parents abandoned you."_

**_"I can't believe I trusted you!"_**

_"Forget about that girl. She is nothing but a nuisance."_

**_"I never want to see you again, you low life!"_**

_"Forget about all the hurtful things she told you, all the lies she told you."_

**_"I never want to see you again, you low life!"_**

_"Focus on your anger, your hatred for the people who hurt you."_

**_"I never want to see you again, you low life!"_**

_"Remember all the people who betrayed you, who abandoned you."_

**_"I never want to see you again, you low life!"_**

_"They all lied to you."_

**_"You low life!"_**

Tadase's mind felt numb as so many spiteful words whirled around through his head. He could only hear the Director's voice, Van's voice, and Amu's hateful words.

He walked aimlessly through the darkness, not caring whether he was lost as long as he was as far away as possible from the World that had caused him so much pain.

It was all too overwhelming for Tadase to handle and it caused him even greater pain. He tried to fight it off, but just couldn't muster enough energy to stop it and allowed his mind to go blank.

He absorbed all the hateful, spiteful words and Van's words of control. He just didn't know what to believe in anymore.

_"You are only a tool and that's what you always will be."_

Tadase just had to accept it, he was only alive so Van could use him, no other reason existed.

There was just no use in trusting anyone anymore; they would only betray him in the end, just like Amu.

**_"You low life!"_**

Tadase paused and gritted his teeth, hearing Amu's words replay endlessly in his mind.

He felt so pathetic having been so gullible into believing her initial words of hope. He allowed himself to be vulnerable with her and it only ended hurting him in the end.

_"I don't care anymore! Just stop! Please, stop!" _Tadase cried wanting to silence the never-ending words as he fell to his knees and clutched his chest.

His heart was filled with such hate and confusion, it hurt and Tadase just couldn't escape the pain that Amu had caused him no matter what he did or thought.

Initially he thought he could never hate Amu, but now was completely different. Her words were empty and held no true meaning behind them.

He hated this feeling and wished that he could just toss the remaining bit of his heart away so he wouldn't have to go through such a thing.

_"I don't care about this world anymore! Just please make the pain go away!"_

**_"Tadase-kun!"_**

Tadase whirled around only to see Amu and glared at her with an intense look from his dark ruby eyes.

**_"I want to be able to help you smile."_**

Tadase clenched his fists tightly as he glared angrily at the girl.

_"Shut up! You're nothing but a liar! For all I care, you can just disappear!" _Tadase shouted furiously before rushing forward and wound up his arm for a punch.

Before Tadase could make contact, he stopped his fist right in front of Amu's face. His eyes trembled in confusion and pain before quickly pulling back his fist. He stared hard at his hand, not understanding why he couldn't hurt her even though he despised her. He concluded that he was still weak and that he had gotten way too close to her.

He cursed himself and Amu, just wanting everything to go away and leave him alone as Amu faded away into the darkness.

Tadase clutched his head furiously while clenching his eyes shut. He was all alone. No one really cared about him. He was a nobody, only a tool that would be thrown away once its usefulness had ended.

Tadase felt himself sink lower and lower into the darkness as he felt his mind slowly start to numb from all the overwhelming feelings.

He could still hear Van and Amu's words circling through his head, hardening his heart even more with each word.

_"My existence means nothing…"_ Tadase muttered to himself.

The darkness was just about to swallow him when a familiar voice suddenly echoed through his mind.

_"Tadase! Wake up!"_

_"…?"_

_"I know you can hear me! Open your eyes! Wake up before it's too late! Tadase!"_

* * *

Ikuto glanced at the monitor to see that he was slowly starting to lose Tadase. Tadase's mind was drifting off into no return and if he didn't snap him out of it quickly, Tadase would really be gone forever.

Tadase was lying motionlessly on top of a metal surface and was strapped tightly to the surface. There was a device that was linking itself with Tadase's brainwaves and was replaying Tadase's worst memories over and over in his mind. Tadase's eyes were open but were blank and glazed over as if in a trance. There was an oxygen mask placed over his face that seemed to be monitoring his breathing.

The signal on the monitor indicating how strong Tadase's consciousness was, was slowly starting to thin out and his breathing was becoming less. Panic started to rise in Ikuto, though he failed to show it.

The machine that Tadase was strapped to was slowly draining away his will to live and would soon cut off his brain activity if his consciousness drifted any further.

Ikuto cursed before taking Tadase by the shoulders and tried to shake him awake. "Tadase! You have to wake up now!"

Tadase just stared at Ikuto blankly through hollow eyes as Ikuto gritted his teeth in frustration as he wracked his brain about what he should do.

There had to be a way to snap him out of it but Ikuto couldn't figure out what to do. Unfortunately there were too many things on the line at the moment. Tadase had to wake up now or Ikuto would end up losing him and Amu.

Ikuto shook his head in frustration before slamming his fist on the wall and cursed again.

'What should I do? I can't get through to him…'

Ikuto widened his eyes in realization as a thought struck him. He looked down at Tadase, wondering if it'd actually work.

Tadase's eyes seemed to be losing color each passing second as his brainwaves were getting weaker.

Ikuto gritted his teeth before shouting in frustration, "Wake up… Wake up, you stupid little prince!"

Tadase didn't react as Ikuto stared at him in disbelief before looking away in defeat, not wanting to look at him any longer.

"…Ngh…"

Ikuto's cat ears perked up as he glanced over at Tadase. Tadase still had that distant and pale look in his eyes though Ikuto could have sworn he had tried to say something.

He suddenly saw Tadase's mouth start to move, though he couldn't hear what he was saying.

"…Who…"

Ikuto leaned closer, straining to hear what he was saying when suddenly, Tadase's color came back to his eyes all at once as he furrowed his brow angrily.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A RUNT SO TINY THAT HE CAN ONLY BE SEEN WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS, YOU JERK!" Tadase shouted angrily while throwing the oxygen mask off his face as well as the device that was strapped to his head as Ikuto sweatdropped. (I couldn't resist :D)

"Eh? Where am I?" Tadase said quickly regaining his composure while obliviously looking around.

"That's new…" Ikuto muttered, not expecting that sort of outburst from Tadase before cracking a small smile.

"Heh, I knew that look-alike wasn't you." Ikuto said as Tadase looked over at him before narrowing his eyes and brought his fists out in front of him.

"What are you doing here, traitor?" Tadase said in hostility as Ikuto put his hands in his pockets.

"Is that how you should be thanking the person who saved you, nya? If you stayed asleep any longer, you would've been gone!" Yoru said as Tadase looked at him in surprise before looking back at Ikuto.

The two stared at each other for a few moments before Tadase let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his head. "You always do seem to be watching out for me. Thanks, I guess…"

Ikuto grinned before striding over to him and ruffled his already messy hair.

"Hey! Cut that out!" Tadase shouted.

"Let's go." Ikuto said walking towards the door as Tadase looked at him puzzled.

"Go where?"

"To the roof of this building. Amu and the others are fighting Van right now and they'll need our help." Ikuto said casually not turning around to face him.

**_"I never want to see you again, you low life!"_**

Tadase's eyes started trembling as he recalled Amu's words before looking down at the ground.

"She doesn't need me nor does she want to see me."

Ikuto paused and looked over at him again as Tadase gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists.

"I'm nothing but a tool. Van-sensei made that clear. I don't know how to do anything on my own. Trust, fight, anything… I'm not even really needed. I mean absolutely nothing to her… to anyone."

Ikuto narrowed his eyes. "What are you saying? That's not true. You're not a tool, you're a human being. You just have to remember."

"I'm through trying to remember! I still haven't remembered a single part of my memory before waking up in Easter!" Tadase shouted as Ikuto looked taken aback before Tadase looked hard at the ground again.

"She made it pretty clear that she doesn't want to see me again, so why should I bother helping her when she doesn't even want my help? I don't care about what happens to her." Tadase said bitterly.

Ikuto looked hard at him with an unreadable expression before he walked over to him and reached out and grabbed Tadase by the collar, yanking him up to eye-level. "So that's it? You're not going to do anything about it? You're not even going to try and work things through? Are you just going to sit back and let someone important to you get hurt?"

Tadase looked at Ikuto in surprise, seeing his eyes trembling in emotion. He looked down to the side, avoiding eye contact.

He didn't answer as he continued staring hard at the ground as his eyes trembled in confusion as Ikuto let him go.

"What are you going to do?" Ikuto asked in a harsh, yet soft voice.

Tadase looked up at him before looking back down at the ground again.

**_"I want to help you find out what being happy feels like! You have a purpose besides serving Easter! You just have to take the time to look around!"_**

_"Being with you… It's both familiar yet unfamiliar. I don't know what it means, but…"_

* * *

Amu let out a cry of pain as Tadase held her firmly over the edge of the platform with one arm.

"Amu!" Rima cried.  
"Amu-chi!" Yaya cried.

Yaya helped Rima back onto her feet and the both of them tried to get over to Amu, but Arietta and her monster pet kept blocking their way.

"Get out of the way, Gloomietta!" Yaya cried as she launched her rubber ducks at the pink-haired girl.

Arietta narrowed her eyes as she held up her doll towards the sky as it started glowing with pink light.

"Now I'll show you how strong I am. This is it, Evil Light!" Arietta cried as she threw her arms forward and a giant swirling energy beam fired from it, engulfing both Yaya and Rima.

Rima and Yaya collapsed to the ground while wincing in pain as Arietta stood over them with a blank yet intimidating look, her golden eyes glowing darkly. "Don't call me, gloomy…"

"Hinamori! Gah!" Kairi cried as Largo came over and stomped down hard on his back while he was still on the ground, preventing him from getting back up.

He lowered his scythe towards Kairi's neck, causing a bead of sweat to drip down the side of his face.

Utau was also having problems as Legretta would constantly steer her away from getting close Amu with fiery shots from her guns. And Nagihiko and Kukai were still in pretty bad shape from Asch's initial attack and couldn't get over to Amu.

Amu desperately tried to pry Tadase's hand off over her eyes but to no avail as he just gripped tighter.

"Tadase… kun… Please, stop…" Amu pleaded one final time as Tadase didn't look the least bit interested in what she said.

"What are you waiting for, Hiroto? Drop her already." Sync said impatiently as Tadase gave him a side-glance before turning his attention back on Amu.

He stared at Amu for a moment before glancing down at the ground far below them and then back at Amu.

"Sayonara, Amu Hinamori." Tadase said flatly before suddenly letting go of her, letting her fall off the edge of the high platform towards the ground far below.

Amu let out a horrified gasp as she watched herself fall farther and farther away from Tadase. As she fell, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Amu looked back at Tadase one last time before closing her eyes.

"AMU!" Everyone cried as they were all in no position to help her much to their frustration and horror.

'I'm sorry everyone… I just couldn't…' Amu said to herself as one last tear escaped from the corner of her eye. 'I'm sorry… Tadase-kun that I couldn't bring you back…'

As she felt herself fall, she couldn't help think back at how Tadase used to be and how bright and kind his smiles were. She remembered how he had caught her when she fell from accidentally breaking out of her Character Transformation with Ran for the first time. He always seemed to be there for her, whether it was protecting her from X-eggs or helping her out in her time of need. She missed him so much she just couldn't believe that she would never see his smile again.

'Tadase-kun…'

As Amu fell closer and closer to the ground, a figure suddenly sprinted across the arena, passing by all of the God-Generals and the Guardians.

Van saw this and widened his eyes in shock. "What is he…?"

"Gah! You stupid girl!"

Amu's eyes snapped open when she heard that voice just before she fell into someone's arms just when she was about to hit the ground.

"Oof!"

Whoever had caught Amu was breathing heavily and she slowly looked up to see who it was. She gasped in shock to find herself looking up into familiar ruby red eyes. Tadase's hair was matted down and his naturally blond hair was bleeding through the black dye. His ruby eyes seemed to be lighter and gentler causing Amu's heart to beat faster.

"Tadase… kun…?" Amu said slowly as her eyes started trembling in emotion.

"You…" Tadase started before an annoyed expression came over his face. "…Are such an idiot."

"Eh?" Amu said with a blank expression before Tadase suddenly removed his arms from under her, dropping her to the ground.

Amu rubbed her sore bottom before glaring up at Tadase and quickly got back up to face him.

"What the heck was that for, you jerk?" Amu shouted as Tadase placed a pinkie in his ear.

"King…?" Kairi said in surprise as the others stared in confusion and shock at him.

"Would you stop yelling for one second?" Tadase said as the other Tadase suddenly jumped down from the platform and landed gracefully on the ground behind them.

He stared at Tadase with blank, hollow eyes as Tadase glared at him through narrowed eyes.

Amu glanced from Tadase to the other, confused and shocked that there were actually two of them.

"W-What's going on here? W-Why are there two Tadase-kuns?" Amu cried frantically as Tadase let out a sigh.

"You're reaction was a little different than I expected," Tadase said as Amu looked at him curiously.

"I thought you said you never wanted to see me again."

Amu's eyes widened in realization before looking down at the ground guiltily. "I-I…"

"Didn't I tell you before that I had no idea what you were talking about? Someone is hard of hearing." Tadase said folding his arms as Amu looked at him in surprise and realized that his confused and hurt expression when she yelled at him made sense.

"Why… Why are you not acting mad? After all those things I said to you…" Amu said slowly, unable to understand why he wasn't acting angrier than he should.

"Don't get the wrong idea; I'm still upset with you. But…I can't hate you, nor can I ignore the fact that you're in trouble." Tadase said softly as Amu widened her eyes as they trembled in emotion while blushing slightly.

She looked down at the ground as her bangs hid her eyes. "…There's one more thing that bothers me…"

Tadase lifted an eyebrow as Amu suddenly glared at him causing him to flinch.

"Why didn't you say anything about what really happened?" Amu shouted angrily as Tadase looked to the side stubbornly.

"T-That is…" Tadase said scratching his cheek sheepishly.

Amu stared at him hard, waiting for an answer, her gaze never wavering.

Tadase glanced over at her before letting out an exasperated sigh seeing that she wouldn't give up until he gave her an answer. "Fine…"

(Flashback)

**_"You're nothing. You're nothing without Easter. You've outlived your purpose. You were abandoned once, you'll be abandoned again."_**

_Tadase winced before slowly opening his eyes and looked around warily. _

_'Wasn't that Sync's voice?' Tadase said to himself as he rubbed his head._

_A moment later, Sync suddenly flew through the door and quickly shut it behind him. He paused when he found Tadase was awake._

_Tadase narrowed his eyes when he saw the little green-haired chara. "I thought you left."_

_Sync narrowed his eyes back and folded his arms. "What do you care? You have that other Guardian Egg. Anyways, I have something I need to do so I suggest you stay out of my way and mind your own business."_

_He suddenly cracked a grin causing Tadase to feel a little suspicious. "Why do you bother being with that girl, Amu Hinamori? She's only being nice to you because you're so pitiful, she doesn't actually care about you."_

_Tadase looked at him in shock before shaking his head furiously. "Shut up! That's not true!"_

_"Is it? How can you be sure? So many people have abandoned you already, why continue to trust these people?" Sync said with an amused grin as Tadase looked at him with trembling eyes._

_"S-Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about." Tadase said as Sync shrugged before eyeing him evilly. _

_"You're so naïve. Watch; that girl is going to turn on you and after that you'll have absolutely no where to go. You'll be all alone again with nothing. You'll be a nobody again; invisible to everyone around you." Sync said smugly as Tadase glared at him with a furious expression._

_"Shut up!" Tadase shouted as he lunged at the little chara in anger._

_Sync merely flew out of the way before flying out the screen door that he had opened earlier._

_Tadase growled in frustration before chasing after him and jumped onto a nearby branch in the tree on the side of the house._

_To Tadase's horror, the branch suddenly snapped in two without warning, sending Tadase crashing to the ground below._

_Tadase didn't have any time to react and ended landing hard on his head in the bushes and was knocked out when the other half of the branch hit him on his already bruised head._

_Luckily no one saw him because he was in the bushes, but would be knocked out for a few hours or so._

(End of Flashback)

Tadase rubbed the bruise on the back of his head while looking to the side with an annoyed look on his face, an embarrassed blush evident on his face.

"That's what happened?" Amu asked slowly.

Tadase nodded stubbornly. "Sync must have weakened the branch or something, knowing I'd jump on it sooner or later."

Amu stared at him dumbfounded for a few moments before a mad-mark appeared over her head.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE?" Amu shouted as Tadase winced at her noise level.

"IT WAS EMBARRASSING! LIKE I'D REALLY WANT TO TELL YOU HOW I MADE A FOOL OF MYSELF!" Tadase shouted back as the others watched them bicker with sweatdrops.

"Besides," Tadase grunted in annoyance while looking away stubbornly. "I doubt you'd believe me either way."

Amu looked at him guiltily before glancing down at the ground. "I know and I'm sorry I wouldn't listen. I was just confused and… I'm sorry for not giving you a chance to explain… I mean, I…"

Tadase looked over at her with an unreadable expression before giving her a small smile and flicked her on the forehead.

Amu winced and glared at him at first but as he continued to smile at her genuinely, she blushed slightly and finally returned the smile.

'I really can't hate her, not matter what. She's just too…'

"…Why are you here? You're supposed to be dead by now."

Tadase and Amu glanced up as Van lowered the platform half way so that they could hear each other clearly.

"That would be my fault." Ikuto said as he suddenly appeared standing on one of the lightning rods as Black Lynx.

"Ikuto?" Amu said in surprise.

Van glared at him as Ikuto's cat ears twitched and glanced over at the God Generals. He then glanced back over at Van and smirked. "You're pretty twisted person to be using their DNA to create monsters like that."

Amu looked at him in confusion, not understanding what he meant as Van chuckled.

"What is he talking about?" Amu asked as Ikuto kept his gaze on Van.

Van grinned before holding up an X-egg in his hand. "You'd be surprised how much power these little eggs actually possess. By harnessing their energy, you can basically create anything with it. Unfortunately, without a base, that energy has no where to go. So in order to form anything with that energy, you must build the foundation from something that already exists.

"The God-Generals… They were formed from clustering X-eggs together around the core substance that holds the X-eggs together, your DNA."

Amu looked at him in shock before looking at all the God-Generals and by taking a closer look, realized that they all had familiar faces. Asch had Nagihiko's face, Arietta had Rima's, Legretta represented Utau, and Hiroto had the face of Tadase. Due to Largo's armor, Amu couldn't see his face but she had a pretty good guess on who he was.

"By collecting DNA samples from most of you, I was able to use that as the base to form the God-Generals, giving them Character Transformation-like abilities and power without actually having to combine with an actual chara." Van explained before suddenly crushing the X-egg in his hand allowing the small shards of broken egg shells fall to the ground.

Amu let out a sharp gasp as her eyes widened and trembled, never hearing of something like that before. Though the God-Generals all had amazing strength and power, they were just merely empty vessels… Hardly even human for they had no soul or thoughts of their own.

She now understood why the Tadase she had been fighting showed no emotion and wouldn't respond to her attempts to reach out to him. He had no heart and was just a mindless drone who only knew how to follow orders.

"Van!" Tadase called taking a step towards the platform Van was standing on. "Tell me, why did you make me into what I am now, why am I here?"

Amu looked over at him in shock as Tadase's eyes trembled in emotion.

Van looked down at him with a cold look. "Can you not live unless you were born for some purpose? That's why you're nothing more than trash."

Tadase looked taken a back for a moment as Van went on.

"Well then, you poor pitiful excuse for a person. You were brought up as a throwaway pawn. I only needed you for experimental purposes for my bigger project. That's all."

Tadase widened his eyes in shock and disbelief. "Is that… Is that all?"

"That is all."

Tadase slowly shook his head as Amu glanced at him sympathetically. She couldn't imagine how he must be feeling right now. At first, she thought he might go back to believing what Van said. He wore an unreadable expression as his bangs hid his eyes.

"No."

Both Amu and Van looked at Tadase in shock as he looked up at Van with a confident expression.

"At first, I wanted you to acknowledge me. To accept me as a human being, not as a tool… I wanted to have a purpose and thought that serving Easter was the only way. But then, someone helped me realize that there was much more than serving Easter as a mindless lackey." Tadase gave Amu a side-glance, causing her to blush slightly before he turned his gaze back on Van.

"I only followed you because I didn't know who else to turn to, who to believe. But now, I'm not living for someone else. I don't care if you refuse to acknowledge me… I am me, and that's all that really matters. So, I don't need you anymore!"

Van stared at Tadase for a moment before laughing. "…Heh heh heh. You've acquired some impudent wisdom. No matter, you are still but a nuisance to me."

Tadase got into a fighting stance and held one fist towards Van.

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get." Van said snapping his fingers as the other Tadase stepped forward.

Tadase stared at him hard before holding out a fist towards him.

"You… Are nothing but an imitation of life, a faker. All you do is run wild just as your maker orders," Tadase said narrowing his eyes at his look-alike who stared back at him lifelessly before he slowly got into a fighting stance as well.

Van grinned amusingly at them. "You can't possibly think you can defeat him, without a chara?"

Tadase ignored him as he kept his gaze locked on Hiroto.

"Since you're me, I've taken it upon myself to eliminate you with these hands," Tadase said getting into a fighting stance. "You've done enough damage. I won't allow you to harm the people I care about any longer!"

Amu and Ikuto looked at him in surprise as Hiroto lowered his gaze, his eyes darkening.

With that, Hiroto sent a blast of wind from the palm of his hand as Tadase quickly bounded out of the way.

"Flare Tornado." Hiroto said as a vortex of fire erupted from the ground.

Tadase narrowed his eyes before flipping out of the way of the attack as Hiroto lunged towards him.

Hiroto tried to give him a kick to the head, but Tadase ducked out of the way before jumping up into the air. Hiroto leapt after him and kicked him in his side, causing Tadase to wince in pain.

Tadase jumped away again before gripping his side in pain while letting out a few coughs.

Hiroto bounded over to him and attempted to strike him with his fist, but Tadase jumped out of the way again. He jumped after him and wound up his leg to kick, but Tadase blocked the kick by kicking back to which Hiroto responded by using his other leg to kick.

Tadase blocked it this time with his arm before spinning out of the way. He and Hiroto exchanged several kicks, blocking the other with their kicks before Hiroto aimed a kick just above Tadase's head and came down on him with the same leg. Though Tadase blocked the kick with his arms, the force sent his staggering backwards a little as Hiroto attacked him with several more lightning fast kicks and punches.

Tadase gritted his teeth as he crossed his arms into an x to catch one of Hiroto's downward kicks. Sweat dripped down the side of his face as he threw Hiroto's leg off and struck him just below the chest with his fist, causing Hiroto's eyes to widen slightly. Tadase saw his chance and lunged back towards him and kicked him hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Hiroto let out several violent coughs as Tadase spun and kicked him in the head, leaving him dazed for a couple seconds.

Amu and the others watched the two of them fight in anticipation, everything else seemingly put on pause as the two of them fought, even the God-Generals were watching, though they didn't look that interested. Amu's eyes trembled as she felt anxiety coursing through her body. Without a chara, Tadase was left pretty powerless and if one of Hiroto's attacks hit, Tadase was finished.

Regaining his bearings, Hiroto retaliated by jumping over Tadase and kicking him on the side and then thrusted his palm into Tadase's chest before unleashing a blast of energy.

"Reaper's Toll." Hiroto said as Tadase was flung backwards.

Tadase let out a cry of pain, swearing he heard something crack before flipping back onto his feet.

Both of them charged at each other and slammed the back of their arms together as if predicting the other would try to kick.

They both tried to force the other back as they pushed against the other, neither one getting the upper hand.

Tadase gritted his teeth while glaring hard at Hiroto. Hiroto looked back at him with an expression that seemed to be of determination, though lacked any energy.

Hiroto then suddenly leaned back, causing Tadase to go off balance and grabbed hold of his wrist.

Tadase let out a shocked gasp as Hiroto pulled him forward and momentarily let him go before whirling around and kicked him hard in the side, sending Tadase flopping over to his side for a moment before quickly taking several steps backwards.

Hiroto followed before winding up another kick to which Tadase blocked by kicking back. Both of their legs collided with each other in the air before exchanging kicks with the other leg. Hiroto then flipped onto his hands and performed a windmill kick as Tadase quickly jumped away from him.

Hiroto quickly followed after him as Tadase braced himself. Tadase quickly reached out and grabbed hold of Hiroto's wrist and attempted to punch him with his other fist but Hiroto caught his fist with his other hand.

They stood there glaring at each other for a moment before jumping apart.

Hiroto quickly whirled around as his body was consumed in flames and shot towards him in a Cyclone Blaze.

Amu gasped in horror seeing Hiroto initiate his finishing move.

Tadase looked over and widened his eyes in horror as Hiroto shot towards him with power and speed.

The attack gave him no time to move out of the way so Tadase shut his eyes, bracing himself for impact.

At the last second, Tadase suddenly felt himself being forcefully pushed out of the way of the attack. He quickly opened his eyes before widening them in shock when he saw Amu before a giant explosion followed, sending Tadase flying across the arena.

Small flames flickered on the ground as Tadase slowly pushed himself off the ground and rubbed his sore head.

"What…? What the heck happened?" Tadase muttered before looking up and froze, his eyes widening and his breathing hitched.

To his horror, he saw Amu lying motionlessly on the ground with Hiroto standing over her with a look of something similar to surprise.

Tadase's eyes trembled in horror as he gripped his chest, feeling his heart beat faster and faster.

"No…"

The sound of screeching tires and car horns filled his ears.

Tadase found himself his nightmare again but this time everything was perfectly clear. The racing car barreling down the road, headed straight towards someone standing in the middle of the road.

Tadase could hear his own heart beat pounding in his ears and in a flash, the figure standing in the middle of the road revealed to be a familiar pink-haired girl with golden yellow eyes.

"A… Am…" Tadase mumbled as several flashing images and colors came flying through his head in a rush. He saw a blond-haired boy race out into the street and pushed Amu out of the way of the oncoming car flash across his mind as a sickening crash followed. Blood splattered onto the pavement as a body lay motionlessly on the ground as sirens blared in the distance.

Tadase stood frozen in place as his eyes trembled in horror. The image closed in on the boy's face and Tadase realized with a start that he was looking back at himself.

Tadase's pupils shrank as he fell to his knees and gripped his head as his whole body started trembling uncontrollably.

A cold feeling came rushing over him as a searing pain went blasting through his head.

**_"Tadase! Tadase!"_**

**_"TADASE-KUN!"_**

"AMU-CHAN!" Tadase shouted at the top of his lungs as he gripped his head in pure agony.

**To be continued...**

* * *

Sorry for giving you all false alarms, but I made it much longer than I expected... again. But things are getting intense, right? :3 Hope you all enjoyed, and yes, you can yell at me for lying. I'm such a bad person. DX Please Review!


	13. Never Forgotten

All right! No lie, this is the last chapter for the main story plot! I hope you enjoy the longness of it, this took quite a while to write up. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara or the Tales of the Abyss characters**

**Chapter 13: Never Forgotten**

Ignoring the pain blasting in his head, Tadase raced to Amu's side and collapsed to his knees beside her as Hiroto stepped away from her.

"Amu-chan! Amu-chan!" Tadase cried as his eyes trembled uncontrollably though Amu didn't answer.

Rima cupped her hands over her mouth in horror, her eyes trembling as Yaya looked away. Kairi was horror-stricken as Utau slowly shook her head in disbelief. Ikuto was wide-eyed unable to react or move. Nagihiko and Kukai stayed where they were, looking hopelessly over at Amu.

Tadase gingerly reached out towards her but was stopped by an overpowering pain that was pounding in his head.

Tadase's breathing was heavy and uneven as his body started trembling while clutching his head.

Everything was starting to blur around him as his head was throbbing with unbearable pain; making everything spin in his mind. It was too much for him to bear as he felt the overwhelming feeling of passing out.

Thoughts and feelings whirled around like a storm in his head as he felt like his head was going to split open.

"How Ironic."

Tadase flinched, snapping out of his pain momentarily as Van looked down at Amu with amusement. "I believe this is what was supposed to happen six months ago. The truth is that we were aiming to bring the Joker into custody. But risking one's self for another is a sacrifice made in vain. It's useless to cling to such trivial feelings such as those."

Tadase slowly lowered his hands away from his head and onto the ground as he stared at the ground uncertainly before gritting his teeth and slowly balled his hands into fists.

"But I am surprised. You held out much longer than I would have expected. You've caught my attention, Hiroto…No, Tadase. I would expect no less from my student. Why not join me again and I'll make the pain in your heart disappear. Without feelings of remorse to hold you back, you can become even stronger." Van said extending a hand towards him.

Tadase was silent for a moment as Van lifted an eyebrow, awaiting his answer. Tadase kept his gaze locked on the ground before him; his expression unreadable.

"Tadase!" Ikuto called, unsure of what Tadase would choose at this point but refused to let him be used by Van again.

"No…"

Van and Sync looked at him in surprise as Tadase slowly stood up, his bangs shadowing his eyes so he couldn't make out his expression.

"I already said that I don't need you. That statement still stands. These feelings in my heart aren't trivial in the least or a weakness; they are what keeps me going; what makes me strong."

Tadase then turned to look at Van with a confident expression on his face, his ruby eyes shining brightly. "I am willing to risk everything to keep from losing the people who mean most to me. I **_will_** defeat you, no matter what. To protect those I cherish most and everyone's Heart's Eggs!"

"Tadase…" Ikuto said, moved by his words.

"All right, Tadase!" Kukai said pumping his fist into the air as the others stared at him in awe and surprise.

Van stared at him in shock before giving a small grin seeing the sparkle in his eyes. "I see… So you've remembered."

Tadase didn't say anything as he just stared confidently at him through unwavering eyes.

Suddenly, an X-egg flew out from the cloud of X-eggs and flew over and stopped in front of Tadase.

He looked at it in surprise before it suddenly lost its X and turned back into a white egg with a golden orb in the middle with smaller orbs surrounding it, lined with a blue stripe.

Tadase widened his eyes in surprise. "A Guardian egg? Wait…this is the egg that…"

A crack formed in the middle of the egg before it suddenly broke in two pieces, revealing a chara with short, spiky blond hair and bright blue eyes. He wore a blue uniform with white lining on the front with silver armor on his shoulders and around his arms and legs and had a long black cape with a white design on the back.

The new chara smiled at Tadase as he did a knight's salute. "Congratulations, Tadase. You finally remember what's most important to you and are willing to put your life on the line to protect those dear to you. That's the mark of a true knight."

"A knight?" Tadase said in surprise as Flynn smiled confidently and nodded.

"My name is Flynn; born from your desire to protect those you care about most so to not lose them and to be more valiant. Even before, you wanted to protect those you cherished, to keep them close as to not lose them like your memory. But when you doubted your judgment, your wish to protect vanished, unable to trust yourself or others. But you have even overcome that. Now let's give them a battle they'll never forget." Flynn said as he unsheathed his tiny sword and raised it towards the sky.

Tadase stared at him for a moment before smiling. "Yeah!"

Flynn then flew back a little and did the unlock gesture as Tadase nodded before his body started glowing with a brilliant light.

"My own heart: Unlock!" Tadase cried as Flynn went back into his egg and was absorbed into Tadase's heart.

A light washed over Tadase's head and flowed down to his toes, washing out all the black dye from his blond hair, returning it to his initial hairstyle and brought back his antennae that bounced back up into place. He stretched out his arm as white armor clasped around his arms and his legs. He was clothed in a blue uniform with a flowing blue cape that was rounded at the ends. In the middle of the uniform was a golden orb that was surrounded by eight smaller orbs in the middle of a black circle.

"Character Transformation: Imperial Knight!"

"What…!" Van cried widening his eyes in shock.

Tadase stood confidently with his arms by his side; his body bathed in light from his Character Transformation before looking down at Amu; who was still unconscious.

He smiled softly at her before bending down on one knee beside her and gently placed a hand on her head. His hand glowed with a soft green light which spread through Amu's entire body.

Once the light faded, Amu stirred slightly before slowly opening her eyes halfway to see Tadase smiling warmly at her.

"Tadase… kun…?" Amu mumbled.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you this time for sure, Amu-chan." Tadase said as Amu opened her eyes more as they started trembling in emotion before Tadase stood up.

Ikuto grinned before leaping over beside him. "So are you ready to give it a team effort, kiddy king?"

Tadase stared hard at him before softening his expression as he unsheathed his sword that was attached to his belt. "Just this once."

Ikuto smirked at him as Tadase smirked back before both sprinted off towards Largo who was the closest to them.

"Slash Claw!" Ikuto cried as he slashed Largo across the chest, not dealing any damage but sent him staggering backwards.

Kairi quickly got out from under him before lunging towards him.

Largo gritted his teeth before swinging his scythe at Kairi with a flaming strike. "Feel my power."

He then sent several more fiery slashes at Kairi, who did his best to block them all with his swords.

"Writhe in the flames of hell, Brimstone Tempest!" Largo cried as a fiery inferno erupted from the ground.

Kairi quickly darted to the side, out of the way of the attack before charging towards him with his swords out in front and slashed him with a flurry of slashes.

"Secret Technique: Thunder Blade!" Kairi cried, slashing through Largo's armor and successfully knocking Largo's helmet off his head revealing blue hair and eyes and cat ears.

Ikuto narrowed his eyes. "Heh, so you even got me too, eh?"

Largo narrowed his eyes while gripping his side before swinging his giant scythe at Ikuto, who merely dodged the attack by jumping high into the air.

"Too bad you're not as fast, you giant lug." Ikuto said tauntingly as Tadase brought his sword in front of him.

"Holy Lance!" Tadase cried raising his sword towards the sky as light spears came raining down on Largo.

Largo let out a silent cry as Ikuto rushed at his look-alike and slashed him across the chest with his razor sharp claws, slashing through his armor.

He fell to his knees and dropped his scythe to the ground with a loud clack; breathing hard.

"Show your enemy no mercy… With shallow feelings… You'll never defeat… him…" Largo muttered under his breath before his body started to disintegrate back into individual X-eggs.

Tadase looked at him in surprise before rushing over to him to hear him better. "What do you mean? Defeat who?"

"Farewell…" Largo mumbled before fully disappearing as a blue strand of hair gently fell to the ground where he once stood.

Tadase widened his eyes while looking down at where Largo use to be before closing his eyes, thinking of his words and trying to understand them.

"King!" Kairi called as Tadase glanced over at him and gave a two-finger salute before rushing off towards Rima and Yaya.

"Take this!" Tadase cried as he attacked Arietta's monster with several glowing strikes from his sword.

Arietta let out a cry before falling off her monster and hit the ground hard as the monster let out a roar before turning on Tadase and rushed at him, claws out in front.

Tadase quickly ducked out of the way before sending his sword straight through the monster's chest.

"No!" Arietta cried as the monster let out one last roar before its body broke up into individual X-eggs.

A small orange tabby cat dropped to the ground and shook itself before running off.

Tadase noticed movement in the corner of his eye and glanced over to see Arietta rushing at him.

He quickly jumped out of the way as Arietta sent a blast of pink energy at him from her doll and landed a little ways off from her.

"Now!" Tadase cried as Rima and Yaya smiled and nodded.

"Juggling Party!"

"Go! Go! Little Duckies!"

Arietta widened her eyes in horror as she was struck down by the flurry of attacks.

She collapsed to the ground on her back as she stared up at the sky through hollow eyes while breathing heavily. "Van…I…lost. I'm…sorry."

Rima widened her eyes as Arietta's body broke up into individual X-eggs and a long golden strand of hair fell to the ground.

"Searing Sorrow." Legretta called upon a ball of flame and hurled it at Utau.

Utau twirled out of the way of the attack but stopped as several walls of light appeared around Legretta before sending multiple fiery shots from her guns. Utau had no time to dodge as Legretta pummeled her with several shots before unleashing one final blast from her guns, which seemed to be a stream of light.

"This end now… Prism Ballet!"

Utau was caught off guard and took the blow full-force and was sent hurtling towards the ground.

"Utau-chan!" Tadase cried as Ikuto rushed past him and jumped up into the air, catching Utau in his arms before landing gracefully on the ground.

"I-Ikuto…?" Utau said as Ikuto gently set her back on her feet before lunging towards Legretta.

"Slash Claw!" Ikuto cried as Legretta blocked the attack with her guns.

Ikuto locked his claw with Legretta's guns as Ikuto narrowed his eyes at her while Legretta stared at him blankly.

"You may have the same face as Utau…" Ikuto said before wrenching his claw away from her before hitting her guns out of her hands with one swift motion. "…But you're nothing compared to her."

Legretta looked at him in somewhat of surprise as Tadase jumped into the air as his body became consumed in flames.

"Rising Phoenix!" Tadase cried as he shot down towards Legretta. When Tadase landed, he sped straight through her in a flash of movement, leaving a trail of fire behind him.

"Burning Phoenix!" Tadase said as he swung his sword in triumph as Legretta's body burst into individual X-eggs and flew out of the way leaving a long strand of blond hair on the ground.

Kukai and Nagihiko struggled to get off the ground as Asch started towards them, his black sword glistening in the light.

"Hah!" Tadase cried as jumped in front of him just as Asch came down with his sword and locked swords with him.

Asch narrowed his eyes at him as Tadase swung their swords apart before jumping back over to Kukai and Nagihiko and plunged his sword into the ground.

"Guardian Field!" A light glyph appeared underneath them as Kukai and Nagihiko suddenly felt their energy return.

Kukai picked himself off the ground and grinned, giving Tadase a thumbs up. "Thanks! Now leave the rest to us!"

Tadase nodded as Nagihiko smiled before walking over and stood beside Kukai, facing Asch.

Asch narrowed his eyes again before bringing his sword out in front of him before plunging it into the ground.

"Rending Saber!" Asch cried as a burst of energy erupted from the ground around him.

Nagihiko jumped out of the way before sending blue energy orbs shooting down on him.

Asch quickly brought up his arms to shield himself as Kukai saw his chance.

"Golden Victory Shoot!" Kukai cried as he kicked a ball of golden energy at Asch.

Asch was too distracted by Nagihiko's attack to react to Kukai's attack hurtling towards him at a lightning fast speed. He widened his eyes in shock as the attack hit him head on, sending him flying across the arena.

Nagihiko charged up his power jump before shooting towards Asch with amazing power and speed.

"Beat Dunk!" Nagihiko cried as he slammed a blue orb of energy into Asch's chest causing a giant explosion.

Asch let out a cry before falling to his knees as his bangs fell over his eyes.

To Nagihiko's surprise, Asch started chuckling slightly as he looked up at him through dark orange, golden eyes.

"Looks like I'm going to disappear too…" Asch said as his body started to slowly disappear and separated into individual X-eggs, leaving a long violet strand of hair in his place.

Nagihiko didn't know what to think from that last comment. They supposedly had no heart or thoughts of their own. Then why…?

"That only leaves one…" Tadase said as he turned towards Hiroto.

Hiroto stared back at him with empty, lifeless eyes before straightening his posture.

"Sync." Van said extending his hand as Sync obediently floated over to him and landed in the palm of his hand.

In Van's hand was a small glowing device that whirred to life once Sync hovered above it.

"Now, behold the true power of chaos." Van said as Sync was enveloped by a globe-like orb as dark energy brimmed from the surface.

Sync then floated down over to Hiroto and was absorbed into his body causing his hair to turn from black to green and his body to glow with green energy.

An evil grin crossed his face as Hiroto's eyes were suddenly filled with life before he slammed his hands together causing the ground to shake briefly.

"Sync!" Tadase called coming forward. "You don't have to do this!"

"Shut up! Van's plan will destroy all Heart's eggs, finally freeing this world from such pitiful dreams and emotions. In time, those worthless people end up just letting go of them anyways because they're weak." Sync said as Tadase narrowed his eyes.

_"Sync, why do you hate this world so much?" _Flynn asked appearing spiritually beside Tadase.

"I was born because of Heart's Eggs. I'm only an experiment, I'm only half-completed! Once my usefulness has ended, I'll be thrown away, just like you! If Heart's Eggs hadn't existed, I wouldn't have been stuck with this pathetic life!" Sync spat.

"Are you telling me you've really gained nothing since you were created?" Tadase asked as Sync narrowed his eyes at him.

"Not a thing. I'm empty, just like those X-Replicas. But it doesn't matter. I don't care who it is, as long as I can finally be freed from this accursed world! I may be inferior, but my power is more than enough to eliminate you!" Sync shouted as he brought his arm above his head as Tadase closed his eyes.

"If that is truly how you feel…" Tadase said sadly, remembering similar words coming from his mouth before looking at Sync with a determined expression. "…I will defeat you with all I have!"

"Fat chance! Harrowing Gale!" Sync cried as lunged towards him as the green aura around him grew more intense.

Tadase darted out of the way, knowing he'd be knocked out right away if he was hit by Sync's special attack.

"You're not getting away! Stone Dragon Ascent!" Sync cried as pillars of craggy rock erupted from the ground below.

Tadase jumped out of the way as Sync chased after him as he wound up his fist for a punch.

Tadase blocked Sync's punch with his sword and swung him away.

Sync charged towards him again before attacking with powerful punches and kicks.

Tadase did his best to block each attack with his sword as Sync continued to attack with great force.

"Die!" Sync shouted as he jumped up into the air and dove straight at Tadase.

Sync wound up his leg as it glowed with green energy as Tadase quickly ducked out of the way and swung his sword at him. Sync blocked it by creating a small shield from his arm and threw off Tadase's attack before his fist started glowing with a white light.

"Dragon Shot!" Sync cried as Tadase charged forward as well.

"Beast!" Tadase cried as he sent an energy blast at him in the shape of a lion head.

Both attacks collided with each other, sending both of them flying apart. They stood on opposing ends glaring at each other with intense looks.

"You're efforts are in vain, you won't stop me or Van!" Sync said as he pointed his arm towards him. "Thunder Blade!"

Tadase immediately looked up before jumping out of the way as a giant spear of lightning hit the ground where he once stood, creating a electrifying shockwave.

"If you keep running away, you'll never stop me!" Sync shouted challengingly as he shot towards him using Cyclone Blaze.

Tadase stepped out of the way of the attack as Sync skidded to a stop before coming down on one knee and placing his hand firmly on the ground. He was breathing heavily before glaring over at Tadase.

Sync narrowed his eyes at him before rushing towards him again, his body brimming with green energy. "Why won't you say anything!"

"You're not just a tool, Sync. Why can't you see that?" Tadase asked as Sync grinned mockingly at him.

"Are you trying to say 'I am who I am?' Peh, I told you I mean nothing, my existence means nothing!" Sync cackled as he swung his leg over at Tadase, who quickly ducked out of the way.

"Sync, that's not true! You're still..." Tadase started but Sync cut him off when he successfully struck him in the side with his leg and sent him crashing to the ground.

"You will not change me! I stand resolved! I'm tired of this world; everyone can just die along with it!" Sync spat as he sent a powerful shot of wind from his hand.

The attack collided with Tadase; sending him flying backwards.

Tadase got onto one knee and plunged his sword into the ground as he leaned up against it, trying to catch his breath while staring at Sync intently.

"I guess I really have no choice then…" Tadase said pushing himself back onto his feet as put his sword in front of him. "If you really do despise this world so much, then I will put an end to this right now!"

He pointed his sword towards the sky as it glowed with intense energy, taking on the form that of a giant blade of light. He then swung his light blade to the side as it began charging with power, shining brighter and brighter.

Sync thought nothing of him as he leapt high into the air and shot towards him while preparing a Dragon Shot.

"Now we end this! Radiant Dragon Fang!" Tadase cried as he swung his sword towards Sync and unleashed several blasts of light from his sword in the shape of dragon heads that shot towards him in a circular motion.

Sync widened his eyes in horror as the attack came at him like a rushing typhoon.

"GAAAAHHHHHHH!" Sync cried as he was hit full blast by Imperial Knight's special attack.

Tadase sheathed his sword as Hiroto landed on his feet but quickly fell to his knees, gripping his arm in pain as Sync separated himself from his body causing his hair to turn black again and his eyes to turn hollow once more.

Hiroto took a couple of deep breathes before closing his eyes as his body turned transparent.

"Van…Destroy…all Heart's eggs…" Hiroto mumbled almost incoherently before breaking up into multiple X-eggs.

Tadase softened his expression as he watched Hiroto fade away as a strand of dyed black hair fell to the ground before blowing away in the wind.

Although Hiroto was a created copy of him, he couldn't help feel a little sad and sorry for him. He was still a part of him since he was created by using his DNA and only being created as a pawn and nothing else was sad in itself. Tadase knew that feeling hurt; to only be looked at as a tool and not an actual person. Even if Hiroto was just a monster, he must have felt a little sense of sadness in his being.

"Sayonara, Hiroto Sateda." Tadase said softly while closing his eyes as a gentle breeze blew through his hair.

"Tadase-kun!"

Tadase looked over before finding himself suddenly engulfed in a hug by Amu, the impact nearly knocking him over.

"A-Amu-chan?" Tadase said in surprise while looking down at her with a soft and surprised expression as Amu looked up at him with a relieved smile.

"It's you, it's really you! I-I… I'm so happy!" Amu cried before burying her face into his chest as her shoulders started trembling.

Tadase widened his eyes slightly before softening his expression and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Amu-chan…"

"GAAHHH!"

Tadase and Amu whirled around to see Sync writhing in pain as the orb he was inside seemed to be spewing dark energy in all directions.

Sync gripped his chest in agony as several jolts of dark energy seemed to escape his body and was flying out in spasms.

The energy that was escaping from Sync's body seemingly attracted a large quantity of X-eggs as they hung in the air around him while chanting.

"W-What's happening to him?" Amu asked worriedly.

Tadase shook his head. "I don't know… But it looks like he's losing control…"

"That's correct."

Tadase turned his gaze over to Van as Sync continued to writhe in pain.

"Sync was the first stable experiment that I created. Unfortunately, like he said before, he is not a perfect specimen. His body can only handle so much after a while and will start to disintegrate due to an overexertion of power," Van explained as more dark energy came flying out of Sync's body causing Tadase's eyes to widen in shock.

"His body cannot control the X-egg energy that was injected into his being any longer and is slowly destroying him. It's a shame to let go of such a fine specimen, but I can create many others."

Amu stared at him in disbelief before crying out, "You monster! How can you say that? Sync may be twisted, but he's still a living being!"

"All he wants is to be freed from this world and dying is essentially the only way to do so. He has no true owner. He has no attachment whatsoever to this world and he'll disappear once I succeed in my plans." Van said indifferently.

"He does have an owner…" Tadase said while gritting his teeth as his fists trembled beside him before rushing towards Sync.

Multiple X-eggs flew into his way and shot streams of dark energy at him.

Tadase jumped out of the way and landed back over beside Amu.

"Tch! They won't let me get through!" Tadase said in frustration.

"Amu-chan!" Dia said as she flew over to Amu's side.

"Dia!" Amu said in relief before looking over at the hoard of X-eggs. "Ready?"

Dia nodded as Amu smiled.

"My own heart: Unlock! Character Transformation: Amulet Diamond!"

"Shooting Star Shower!" Amu cried as she sent a shower of stars from her globe, negating the X-eggs' attacks and stopping them in their tracks.

"Go, Tadase-kun!" Amu said as Tadase nodded a thanks before rushing past the immobile X-eggs and over to Sync and slammed his sword onto the orb's surface that imprisoned Sync.

Dark energy shot out from the orb upon contact, sending pain rippling through Tadase's body.

Tadase let out a cry of pain but didn't let up on his attack as more dark energy poured out from the surrounding orb.

Sync slowly opened up his eyes to look at him. "What are you doing…? Why are you trying to save me…? I'm nothing but a half-completed experiment…nothing more than garbage."

Tadase winced as shots of pain went coursing through his body as he struggled to break through the orb's surface.

"Don't talk like that! You are still my chara, even if you don't think so," Tadase said while wincing before giving him a weak smile. "I won't allow you to disappear, no matter what…"

Sync stared at him for a moment before smirking as he closed his eyes. "You're such a soft-hearted fool…"

"Tadase-kun!" Amu cried as Tadase pressed his sword harder on the orb's surface as dark energy continued to spark out from it, rippling through Tadase's body.

Sync let out another cry of pain as his body went through more spasms as the dark energy in his body increased its intensity, threatening to destroy his body.

Tadase narrowed his eyes as he desperately tried to concentrate on breaking the orb. 'I won't let him disappear…'

Sync gripped his chest in pure agony as he let out another cry of pain as more X-egg energy pulsed from his body. An image flashed over Sync causing Tadase's eyes to widen and tremble in emotion.

"NO!" Tadase cried as he lifted his sword above his head and came down striking the surface with such intensity as a crack suddenly formed on the surface. Before he realized it, the barrier suddenly shattered, sending dark X-egg energy to rush past Tadase, nearly blowing him away.

More dark energy escaped from Sync's body as it looked as if he'd hit his limit.

"Sync!" Tadase cried as Amu's body started glowing.

"Negative Heart: Lock on!" Amu cried as a heart appeared around Sync.

"Open Heart!" With that, Amu unleashed a powerful light from the Humpty Lock onto Sync, consuming him in light.

Sync let out another cry as Amu's Open Heart slowly cleansed his body of all X-egg energy, releasing him from the searing pain.

Tadase watched in awe as Sync's body was cleansed as his body turned white with light.

Once the light faded, Sync stared up at the sky with a dazed look in his green eyes, feeling both exhausted and warm on the inside. He felt so light now; it was a wondrous and new feeling to him he didn't even really know how to describe how he felt at that moment.

A small grin appeared on his face before he started laughing.

"Finally… It's finally over. I can finally be freed from this… pathetic world." Sync mumbled as the two halves of his egg appeared around him.

Amu's eyes started trembling, not understanding why Sync was still talking like that even after the Open Heart. Wasn't that supposed to cleanse eggs and charas of all negative emotion?

She glanced over at Tadase and was surprised that he didn't look the least bit concerned but held an intense look before Amu looked back up at Sync.

"Sync… Why are you still…?" Amu started but Sync cut her off.

"You still don't understand a thing…I was created as a tool and out of X-egg energy…" Sync mumbled as Amu's eyes trembled in emotion.

"I never wanted to be born… But now… I can finally go back…"

Before he could finish, Sync went back into his egg as it sealed itself closed. His egg was black and had an orange symbol on the front, the same symbol that was on Tadase's mask when he was Hiroto. His egg suddenly started to glow softly as the black color along with the orange symbol was erased, turning it light blue as a crown pattern suddenly appeared on the front much to Amu's shock.

Amu's eyes widened in disbelief as Tadase watched the egg intently.

"No…it couldn't be…" Amu mumbled.

A crack formed in the middle of the egg as a familiar lavender-haired chibi king with blue eyes popped out of the egg with a triumphant smile.

"I'm…back…!" Kiseki announced before slowly closing his eyes as exhaustion suddenly hit him and allowed himself to gently fall towards the ground.

Tadase rushed forward and Kiseki gently fell into his hands.

Kiseki opened his eyes again to look up at Tadase. "Tadase…"

"Welcome back, Kiseki." Tadase said as he gave him a warm, welcoming smile as Kiseki's eyes started trembling.

"I'm…glad to be back…" Kiseki said before falling asleep due to exhaustion.

Amu and Dia smiled as the two reunited despite being completely shocked that Sync was actually Kiseki.

Tadase then looked over up at Van who was looking down at him with frustration radiating from his eyes.

"It's over, Van! The God-Generals have fallen; your influence over Kiseki is gone…You have nothing left so give yourself up!" Tadase said pointing his sword at him.

Van was silent for a moment before a grin appeared on his lips as he started laughing.

An evil grin appeared on Van's lips as he started laughing. "You think you've defeated me just because I don't have any more lackeys? What a foolish way of looking at my predicament. Have you forgotten that I still have thousands of X-eggs at my disposal?"

The others gathered around Amu and Tadase as Van pressed a few buttons on the keyboard as the machine started vibrating and opened up a side door, revealing three colorful Guardian Eggs.

"My Guardian eggs!" Amu cried. "Ran! Miki! Su!"

"Amu-chan!" all three of them cried, their voices muffled from inside their eggs.

"What are you planning to do with them?" Amu demanded.

Van grinned broadly. "I originally planned to use them as my experiments like Sync. But then I discovered that they possessed far more power than I expected. So instead, I used them as the main power source to my machine. With their power, I will be able to eliminate Hearts' eggs once and for all!"

Amu's eyes trembled in disbelief before glaring defiantly at Van.

"Give them back!" Amu shouted as she rushed towards him.

"Amu-chan!" Tadase called as Amu jumped onto the platform that Van was standing on.

"Let them go!" Amu cried as Van smirked.

Suddenly, a purple lightning bolt came crashing down in front of Amu, sending her flying backwards.

Tadase quickly came up behind her to steady her and glared defiantly at Van.

"What are you planning to do?" Tadase asked as Van turned his back to them to type in a couple of commands into the machine.

The machine started vibrating causing Ran, Miki, and Su to cry out in pain.

Amu tried to rush forward, but Tadase grabbed her arm to prevent her from just throwing herself in harm's way since they didn't know what Van was truly capable of.

The cloud of X-eggs hanging overhead started circling and purple lightning came raining down into the lightning rods once more, lighting up the whole arena.

"I refuse to give up when I'm so close to succeeding. I will crush all of your childish dreams, just like they did mine!" Van shouted over the crash of lightning as Tadase and Amu flinched in shock.

Van grabbed a loose cord of some sort and plunged it into his chest as waves of dark X-egg energy pulsed from it.

"W-What are you doing?" Utau cried as Van let out a cry of pain as huge quantities of X-egg energy went pouring into his body.

A crooked smile appeared on his face and let out a chuckle. "To think you'd push me this far. It seems I have no choice but to unleash this terrible power into my body."

"If you do that, the X-egg energy will eventually destroy you!" Ikuto said.

The X-egg energy went coursing through Van's body causing him to writhe in pain. The dark energy surged through his body, snapping his hair tie and allowing his medium-length hair to fall onto his shoulders. The sleeve on his right arm burst, revealing his arm had turned a dark purple color and had dark blue veins running up his arm that seemed to glow. Dark blue jagged feather-shaped stones protruded from his left shoulder, making him look more like a monster.

"W-What's happening to him?" Yaya said clinging to Kairi's arm.

"It looks like the X-egg energy he's absorbed into his body is twisting him into some kind of monstrosity." Kairi said narrowing his eyes.

Ran, Miki, and Su let out cries of pain as Van used the machine to transfer all the X-egg energy he collected into his body.

Van smirked an evil and crazed grin as he glanced up at the Guardians. "I commend you on making me use this power on myself. But…everything ends now!"

He stood up and threw his arms wide as a huge amount of dark energy came flying from his body, nearly blowing Tadase and Amu off the platform.

Tadase got in front of Amu protectively as he unsheathed his sword, pointing it at Van.

"Stand back." Tadase said.

Amu looked at him in shock before smiling and shook her head as she went over and stood beside him.

"You already protected me enough, Tadase-kun. This time, we'll fight together." Amu said as Tadase looked at her in surprise before nodding with a gentle smile.

"Okay."

"No matter what you do, you still will not stop me!" Van shouted as he sent a burst of dark energy from his hand.

"Twinkle Shield!" Amu cried as she brought up her globe microphone to block the attack.

Though she was able to stop the attack, the force still sent her flying off the platform. Amu flipped over and landed gracefully on her feet over by the others as Van lowered the platform until it rested on the arena.

Tadase lunged at Van with his sword out in front of him as Van pulled out the sword he had plunged into the ground earlier and raised it to lock swords with Tadase.

They pulled apart before Tadase charged at him again, striking Van with powerful blows but only to be blocked by Van's master swordsmanship.

"Hmph. Have you forgotten? I'm the one who taught you how to fight. Do you really think you can outdo me?" Van said as Tadase narrowed his eyes.

"Farewell, Ancient Requiem!" Van cried as he sent a powerful blast of energy from his hand, sending Tadase crashing to the ground over near the edge of the platform.

Tadase jumped back onto his feet as he raised his sword towards the sky. "Holy Lance!"

Van created a shield in the shape of a dome around him as spears of light came cascading down on him, but failed to deal any sort of damage.

He then charged at Tadase as his sword started glowing with a dark energy.

"Slash Claw!" Ikuto cried as he came spiraling towards Van from above.

Van stopped in his tracks and raised his arm to block Ikuto's attack as Tadase lunged at him from below his guard.

Van smirked before smirking and threw Ikuto off and struck Tadase with his sword, sending him flying back.

"Juggling Party!" Rima cried as she sent a barrage of clown pin missiles at Van.

"White Wing!" Utau cried as she sent a flurry of white feathers raining down on him.

"Duckie Dash!" Yaya cried sending out her army of rubber ducks.

All the attacks resulted in a powerful explosion, engulfing Van as smoke and dust rose up all around him.

Once the smoke cleared, Van stood as if he was unaffected as he opened his eyes as Kairi suddenly lunged at him from the side.

"Special Technique: Thunder Blade!" Kairi cried as attacked Van with a flurry of blows from his swords.

Van brought up his sword to block his attack before striking him down with a powerful swing of his own sword, sending Kairi flying backwards.

"Blaze Shoot!" Nagihiko cried while sending powerful shots of blue energy at him.

"Golden Victory Shoot!" Kukai cried, sending a powerful blast of golden energy at Van.

Van lifted up his arm and created a barrier in front of him, blocking the duo's attacks.

"Ground Dasher!" Van shouted as he sent craggy rock shooting out of the ground at them.

"Shooting Star Shower!" Amu cried as she sent a shower of stars, negating Van's attack.

"Negative Gate!" Van created a large black orb causing everyone to slam into the ground due to the crushing gravity of the orb.

Van grinned before both Tadase and Ikuto lunged at him from behind on both sides.

"Hah!" Tadase cried as he and Ikuto came down on Van with sword and claws.

Van blocked both attacks by putting up his arm to block Ikuto's claws and locked swords with Tadase with his own.

"You all are pretty persistent…all very strong willed. But that's still not enough to triumph against me!" Van said blasting Ikuto away and striking Tadase down by the sword.

"Tadase-kun, are you okay?" Amu said rushing to his side as he leaned on his sword while breathing heavily.

"Yeah, but at this rate, we won't defeat him. He's absorbed too much X-egg energy, making him far too powerful." Tadase said as Kairi and Nagihiko attempted to attack him, but ended up being blown away.

As the battle raged on, Kiseki had woken up and slipped unnoticed over to the machine, trying to figure out how to free Amu's Guardians from the machine.

"Why should I, a King, have to do all the work here?" Kiseki grumbled as he proceeded to determine which switch would release them.

As Kiseki looked over the control panel, he failed to notice a figure coming up behind him. A shadow loomed over him but before he could react, a hand reached out and grabbed him.

"Hah! Gotcha, you little pest!" Dist said smugly wearing a pair of strange goggles of some sort.

"Ah! Release me at once, you reaper!" Kiseki commanded as a mad-mark appeared over Dist's head.

"How is one so beautiful as myself a "reaper"? A "rose" suits me much better, you little pest!" Dist said as he tightened his grip around Kiseki.

"Go! Go! Little Duckies, go!"

Suddenly, little rubber ducks flew over to Dist and started pecking him causing him to squirm and squeal.

"Gah! S-Stop! Get away from me! That hurts!" Dist cried, releasing his grip on Kiseki.

"Sync-dono, are you okay?" Yaya asked coming over to Kiseki as a mad-mark appeared over his head.

"Don't call me that! I am not that ruffian, delinquent any more!" Kiseki shouted. "Now help me figure out how to release those commoners!"

"Roger!" Yaya said with a salute before looking over the control panel.

After a few seconds, Yaya's face turned frustrated before she fell on her back waving her arms and legs.

"This is too hard! Yaya doesn't understand any of this gizmo junk!" Yaya cried.

"That's not helping!" Kiseki shouted angrily before another bolt of purple lightning came crashing down, causing Kiseki to fall back onto one of the buttons on the control panel.

A tiny alarm went off as Kiseki sweatdropped. "That doesn't sound good…"

Suddenly, the parts of the machine that held Ran, Miki, and Su's eggs in place lifted, freeing them and allowing them to come out of their eggs.

"Hmph! I am a genius!" Kiseki said proudly as Yaya looked at him with a dull expression.

Once the machine's power source was cut, all the lights dimmed as the lightning rods stopped flashing and eventually died off.

"Freedom!" Ran cheered.

"Amu-chan!" Miki called as she and the others flew over to Amu.

"Guys!" Amu cried in relief as the three of them tackled her into a hug.

"Are you all, all right?" Amu asked as the three of them nodded.

"We're a little drained, but we're still willing to help!" Ran said as Miki and Su nodded in agreement.

Amu smiled in relief as Tadase slowly gathered himself off the ground and stood up before turning his gaze on Van, who was currently fighting with Kairi and Kukai.

Amu looked over as well as the others tried their best to fend off Van's attacks. Her eyes widened when a dark aura surrounded Van.

'He's powered by X-egg energy, so that would have to mean that…' A sudden thought struck her as she turned towards Tadase.

"Tadase-kun, Van is still using X-eggs so we can still purify that energy!" Amu said.

"But in order to do that, we need to first figure out to immobilize him. And even so, purifying all that X-egg energy is going to take huge amounts of energy and power." Tadase said as Amu gave him a determined smile.

"We'll just have to find a way!" Amu said as Tadase gave her a soft smile and sighed.

"I guess there's no use arguing." Tadase chuckled.

Tadase spotted something hurtling towards him from the corner of his eye and quickly put up his hand and caught whatever was thrown at him.

When he looked down at his hand, he was surprised to see the Dumpty Key glowing softly.

He looked up to see Ikuto standing off to the side.

"Ikuto Tsukiyomi?" Tadase said in surprise as Ikuto smirked.

"I think you can put it to better use than me right now." Ikuto said as Tadase widened his eyes in shock.

"Ikuto…" Amu said as Tadase clutched the Dumpty Key tightly in his hand.

"I understand…Thank you." Tadase said as Ikuto let out a small grunt in acknowledgement.

The Dumpty Key started shining brightly as Tadase opened up his hand and let it float up out of his hand and over to Amu.

The Humpty Lock seemed to resonate with the Dumpty Key and started shining just as brightly.

Van paused and glanced over at them questionably as everyone looked over at Amu.

Amu closed her eyes as the Key and Lock drew closer to one another, feeling the power resonating within in them.

"Dumpty Key…Humpty Lock…Lend me your power!" Amu cried as the Dumpty was inserted into the Lock.

"Unlock!"

The arena was suddenly engulfed by light as Van shielded his eyes.

"W-What is this power…?" Van growled as the light grew more intense.

"Amu!" Rima called as she shielded her eyes with her arms from the light.

"What's happening?" Kairi called out.

As Amu watched the images scroll by that the Dumpty Key had unlocked, tears weld up in her eyes and quickly wiped them away with her sleeve. She then closed her eyes and placed her hands over her heart. (Note: I'll put what she saw in a bonus chapter :3)

'Tadase-kun…You've gone through so much pain in these last six months…I had no idea. But now…I understand.'

_"Amu-chan."_

Amu opened her eyes to see Tadase standing in front of her, still as Imperial Knight with Kiseki floating beside him.

_"Tadase-kun…I…You…" _Amu said slowly, remembering all the things she saw, feeling guilty about all the things that Tadase had to go through by himself.

Tadase smiled softly at her before extending his hand to her. _"Let's go, Amu-chan."_

Amu's eyes trembled in emotion before smiling back at him and reached out to take his hand. "_Yeah!"_

Ran, Miki, Su, Dia, Kiseki, and Flynn gathered together as they were engulfed by light.

Once their hands touched, the light around them burst as they cried out,

"My own heart: UNLOCK!"

"Character Transformation: Amulet Maiden!"

"Character Transformation: Royal Guardian!"

Amu looked down at herself to see her clothed in a white gown that draped down into pink flower petals. The gown was lined with golden fabric and wore white boots and white gloves. She wore a silver clover-like clip, the same design on the Humpty Lock in her hair.

Tadase glanced down at himself as he wore golden armor with white clothing. He wore a small golden crown that wrapped around his forehead. He also had a small red flowing cape and wore golden arm and leg braces.

"What is this?" Amu said in surprise.

"…A Joint Transformation." Tadase said in awe.

"Whoa…" Nagihiko said as he, Rima, and Yaya stared at the two of them in awe.

Kukai whistled in amazement as Kairi and Utau looked at them in awe as well.

"Amu…Tadase…" Ikuto said in awe.

"W-What?" Van said in shock.

_"Amu-chan!" _Ran, Miki, Su, and Dia called as Amu widened her eyes in surprise.

"Everyone is inside me?" Amu said in awe as she placed a hand over her heart.

"Just because you were able to unlock the power of the Humpty Lock, does not mean you will defeat me. I still have countless X-egg energy flowing through my veins!" Van said before charging towards them.

_"Amu-chan, this transformation won't last long. You have to hurry now." _Dia said.

"Too bad you won't be able to use any of that power!" Van said appearing right in front of Amu.

Amu let out a gasp as Van came down on her with his sword.

_"Amu-chan! Look out!" _Miki cried.

"Divine Streak!"

A powerful beam of light shot out from the side, catching Van off guard and sent him flying across the arena.

Tadase then jumped over in front of Amu, his sword glowing softly.

"Tadase-kun!" Amu said in relief as Tadase gave her a determined smile.

"Don't worry, I promised to protect you. Leave the fighting to me and when you see your chance, finish him off." Tadase said with a confident smile.

Amu's eyes trembled with emotion before giving him a confident smile back. "Right!"

_"Let's go, Tadase!" _Both Kiseki and Flynn said.

"Right!" Tadase said as he held his sword in front of him before charging towards Van.

Van quickly got off the ground and gritted his teeth in frustration before rushing towards Tadase as well.

"Raging Blast!" Van shouted as he thrusted his arm forward as a ball of energy formed in his hand.

"Distortion Blade!" Tadase cried as he swung upwards causing a massive explosion field before swinging downwards, creating a ghost blade to appear that slashed through Van's body.

Van let out a cry before sending a blast of energy at him.

Tadase put his sword out in front to block the attack, but was still flung backwards from the force.

"No matter how many times you try, the result will still be the same. Just give up." Van said stepping towards the fallen Tadase.

"Tadase-kun!" Amu cried.

"Angel Cradle!" Utau cried as she began singing her cleansing song.

Van paused as the dark aura surrounding him suddenly turned golden as a look of pain crossed his face.

"GAAHHHH!" Van cried as he gripped his chest in pain while flailing his sword around wildly in his other hand.

"What's going on?" Yaya wondered.

"Utau-san's Angel Cradle is meant to cleanse X-eggs and since Van absorbed X-egg energy into his body…" Kairi explained.

"Then it's being purified." Nagihiko said.

"Unfortunately, Van had absorbed a large quantity and Utau-san's attack won't be enough to purify all of it." Kairi said.

Tadase rose back onto his feet as he smiled confidently and pointed his sword at him. "This is the end, Van!"

Van glared at him furiously. "That's what you think! This is far from over!"

Van charged at Tadase wildly as Utau's song was still affecting him.

"Duckies Scramble, Go Go!" Yaya cried as she sent her army of rubber ducks at Van all at once.

Van stopped abruptly as Yaya's ducks came at his face, blinding him.

"Tightrope Dancer!" Rima cried as she sent a barrage of tightropes raining down on him, entangling him.

"Slash Claw!" Ikuto cried as he lunged at Van with his claw.

Van managed to block his attack with his sword but still stumbled backwards from the force.

"Beat Dunk!" Nagihiko cried as he slammed a blue energy ball into Van's chest, causing him to be blown backwards.

"Lightning Blade!" Kairi cried as he came down on him with a powerful wave of energy from his swords.

"Golden Victory Shoot!" Kukai cried as he kicked a powerful golden ball of energy at Van.

Both of their attacks combined with each other and hit Van with a powerful blast of energy.

Van let out another cry of pain as he stumbled back a few more steps and doubled over slightly.

Tadase swung his sword to the side and was suddenly consumed in flames before swinging it out in front of him, pointing it at Van before charging towards him with amazing speed.

Tadase unleashed several powerful slashes of flames from his sword as Van tried to block them with his own sword.

With a powerful swing downwards, Tadase slashed right through Van's sword, breaking it in half.

Tadase jumped backwards into the air as his sword began charging with more fiery power.

"This is the end! Divine Phoenix!" Tadase cried as he unleashed a phoenix-shaped blast of fire from his sword.

Van was hit completely by the attack causing him to howl in pain as Amu took a step forward.

_"Go for it, Amu-chan!" _Ran cheered.

Amu placed a hand over her heart as her whole body started to glow and she was lifted up into the air.

"Divine Judgment of purity for a darkened soul…" Amu chanted as she formed a heart with her hands over the Humpty Lock.

"SACRED OPEN HEART!"

Amu then unleashed a wave of light from her body, engulfing Van and the entire field. The light then expanded throughout the skies, purifying the cloud of X-eggs hanging overhead, turning them back into regular Heart's eggs in an instant.

"Amazing…" Ikuto said staring up at the sky in awe.

"Ugh…What's happening?" Director Hoshina groaned as he was being helped out of the Easter building by Tsukumo and Manta.

"Ah! Director, you're finally awake!" Tsukumo said enthusiastically.

"What do you want us to do now, sir?" Chichimura asked.

Director Hoshina just let out another groan before rubbing his throbbing head. "Just…Take me home."

Van felt like he was floating in space as his body was fully cleansed of all the X-egg energy. He felt like he was being bathed in light as his body felt a rush of warmth flowing through him. Both his arms were back to normal but hung limply beside him as if they were paralyzed.

_'How…? How could I be defeated…? My plan…it was perfect…Then how…?' _Van wondered as he slowly closed his eyes.

_"I'm sorry…my brethren…I couldn't avenge you…"_ Van muttered softly as a tear ran down the side of his face before fading away into the light.

Once the light faded, both Amu and Tadase's Character Transformation came undone as their charas floated next to them.

Small, sparkling balls of light gently floated down all around them, giving the atmosphere a warm, soft feeling.

"It's beautiful." Amu said as she caught one of the small balls of light in her hands.

Everyone else was looking up at the sky in awe, watching the tiny, sparkling, balls of light rain down all around them.

As all the purified X-eggs danced in the sky, expressing their gratitude, a sparkling, white egg was floating amongst them, darting from right to left.

"The Embryo!" Amu cried as Ikuto darted forward.

Before anyone else could react, the shining white egg flew off in a flash, disappearing once more and out of everyone's grasp.

"Aw, it flew away again." Su said in disappointment.

Amu just smiled. "There's always next time."

"That's the spirit, Amu-chan!" Ran cheered.

"Way to stay optimistic." Miki said as Amu giggled slightly.

Ikuto skidded to a stop before narrowing his eyes and let out a small sigh.

_"You'll get it next time, Ikuto! For sure-nya!" _Yoru said causing Ikuto to smile slightly.

"Ikuto Tsukiyomi!"

Ikuto looked over to the side to see Tadase toss back the Dumpty Key to him. He caught it in his hand and looked at Tadase in surprise.

Tadase stared hard at him for a moment before smiling softly and closed his eyes.

"I'll let you hold onto it a bit longer as a thanks," Tadase said before looking back up at him confidently as he pointed a finger at him. "But once that's over, I'll definitely come back for it and take it back without having it given to me, Ikuto Tsukiyomi!"

Ikuto stared at him for a moment before grinning.

"We'll see about that, Kiddy King." Ikuto said as he tossed the key into the air before catching it again and ran off.

Tadase turned back towards Amu, seeing her smiling up at the beautiful scene. His ruby eyes sparkled softly as he watched the small lights fall all around her, giving her an angelic presence.

"Amu-chan…" Tadase said softly.

OOOOOO

"No! You can't do this to me! Do you have any idea who I am? This is going down in my revenge journal!" Dist cried as he flailed around before being thrown into the squad car by the police officers causing everyone to watch sweatdrop.

"What a weirdo." Rima said as Nagihiko chuckled sheepishly beside her.

"That's one way of putting it…"

"So he was the one driving the car that hit you?" Kukai asked Tadase as he nodded. "No wonder the reports said the driver seemed drunk."

Tadase chuckled sheepishly while sweatropping.

"Ah! Where did Van go?" Amu said in alert.

"He must have slipped away while we were distracted. He is no longer in this vicinity." Kairi said pushing up his glasses higher up on his face.

"Boo! I can't believe he got away!" Yaya pouted while waving her arms wildly around.

"I wouldn't worry. He'll get what's coming to him at some point." Utau said as Iru smirked beside her.

Tadase looked down at the ground with an unreadable expression before clenching his fists.

Amu noticed this and looked at him in concern. "Tadase-kun?"

Tadase then ran out in front of them and quickly bowed apologetically as did Kiseki, surprising everyone.

"I'm sorry!" Tadase cried. "I said…I did such cruel things towards you all. I worried you for disappearing for so long and then hurting you when I came back. I truly regret my actions…and if there is any way you'll forgive me…"

"I too am at fault. For that was no way for a King to act. I too also apologize for my actions." Kiseki said humbly for once.

Everyone stared at the two of them in shock as Tadase stared hard at the ground.

"I know my actions can't be fully forgiven…But somehow…Could you all…?"

Kukai and Yaya glanced at each other before grinning and suddenly tackled Tadase shocking everyone and causing them to sweatdrop.

"Oh shut up, Tadase! Don't be so dramatic. Isn't it obvious that we already have forgiven you?" Yaya said with a wink.

"Yeah! We **_are _**friends after all, right?" Kukai said ruffling Tadase's hair.

"But…" Tadase said as Kukai flicked him on the forehead.

"Enough apologizing already," Kukai grinned. "We're just glad you're back, prince!"

Tadase widened his eyes as a crown appeared on top of his head in a flash of light.

"Don't…CALL ME PRINCE! It's King! Hahahaha!" Tadase announced triumphantly as fire appeared abruptly behind him. (I couldn't resist XD)

Amu and the others sweatdropped as Tadase laughed loudly, earning him some odd looks from people passing by.

"Though your king has been away for quite some time, never fear, for I have returned to my throne! That accursed Van shall pay for kidnapping the King! We will commence a search to bring that villain to justice in due time but for now, bow before my glory, commoners! HAHAHAHA!"

"He's back all right." Amu said while sweatdropping as all four of her charas let out a sigh.

Flynn let out an exasperated sigh before holding up his arms in defeat.

"My ambition has returned! Now, onto world domination!" Tadase said before Rima found a random bucket lying around and abruptly slammed it over Tadase's head.

Flynn then flew over and whacked the bucket a few times with his tiny sword before taking the bucket off Tadase's head to find his eyes swirling.

"Eh? Oh…" Tadase said before falling into a state of depression. "At a time like this…"

Kukai started laughing before slapping him on the back a couple of times to snap him out of it.

"That just means you're back to normal. That's all that really matters!" Kukai said giving him a thumbs up.

"He's right, Hotori-kun. We're just glad to have you back." Nagihiko said as Yaya came up and hugged Tadase around the waist.

"It doesn't matter if you were a bad guy back then, 'cause Tadase is back to his normal self now." Yaya said with a broad smile.

Tadase couldn't help but smile and started laughing.

"Everyone…Thank you." Tadase said as Amu smiled at him with a small blush on her cheeks.

Nagihiko noticed this and smiled. "Oh, I just remembered that I skipped out on most of my dance practice today. I need to get back to that right away."

"Eh?" Amu said looking at him dumbfounded as Yaya quickly picked up on what he was implying.

"Oh! Speaking of which, Yaya has to go take care of Tsubasa-chan! You have someplace to go to too, right Kairi?" Yaya said turning to Kairi, who have her a puzzled look.

"What? No, I…" Before Kairi could finish, Yaya started pushing him down the street. "Well in that case, you can help me with Tsubasa-chan!"

"H-Hold on one moment!"

"Papa and mama must be worried about me, I should leave as well." Rima said.

"What's going on?" Kukai asked before Rima came up behind him and started pushing him down the path. "You have to come along as well."

"Eh? Why me?" Kukai said as Kusukusu giggled.

"Later, Amu-chan." Nagihiko waved before rushing off, leaving behind a dumbfounded Amu and a confused Tadase.

"Utau, do you…?" When Amu turned she found that Utau wasn't standing there anymore.

"Eh? Where'd she go? She was standing here a minute ago!" Amu said looking around frantically.

"Utau-chan had slipped away when she sensed the lovey dovey mood!" Eru said off to the side.

Flynn smiled before Kiseki floated up over to him with his hands on his hips.

"All right, let's get something straight. Tadase's true would-be-self is me, the king! You are nothing more but a commoner who should bow before the king." Kiseki said pointing at him as Ran, Miki, and Su let out exasperated sighs.

Flynn looked at him in surprise before getting on one knee and bowed. "All right then. It is my honor and duty to serve the King."

"EH?" Ran, Miki, and Su cried as Kiseki looked taken aback by Flynn's actions.

"Ugh…yes, yes it is," Kiseki said awkwardly before a mad-mark appeared over his head. "Wait a second, you're mocking me, aren't you?"

Tadase started chuckling as Amu sweatdropped while Kiseki and Flynn started fighting with each other.

"They kind of contradict each other, don't they?" Amu said as Tadase looked down at the ground softly.

"Amu-chan."

Amu looked up at Tadase, who was looking to the side with a soft expression on his face.

"I wanted to apologi- No…I want to thank you." Tadase said as Amu looked at him in surprise.

"Sohma-kun said I should stop apologizing, so…I'll say thanks instead. Thank you…Thank you for believing in me and helping me get back my memory." Tadase said as Amu blushed.

"I don't think I ever lost my memory, it was just sealed away. Over the course of six months, I wasn't able to remember a thing and became a totally different person. When you reached out to me, being with you…felt familiar, but I was unfamiliar with it because I couldn't remember.

"The accident that happened was a traumatizing event for me and was the thing that was keeping me from remembering because in fact…I didn't want to remember that event. And because of that, I couldn't remember anything. By not wanting to remember a part of my memory, it shut off all my other memories. It was after you pushed me out of the way of Hiroto's Cyclone Blaze that I finally came to terms with myself and accepted what happened during the accident…because I wanted to remember you."

Amu widened her eyes in shock as Tadase continued to smile softly at her.

Tears formed at the corner of her eyes but quickly wiped them away as to not look like a crybaby, though Tadase really isn't the one to judge.

"I…I'm glad…I'm glad you're finally back." Amu said, keeping her arm over her eyes as her shoulders started shaking.

!Flick!

"Ow! Hey!" Amu shouted as Tadase gave her an evil smirk causing her to flinch.

"Stop blubbering, stupid girl."

Amu stared at him dumbfounded before she and her charas pointed at him in horror. "Hiroto!"

Tadase's smirk disappeared as he started laughing well-humorously with his genuine smile as Amu looked at him dumbfounded, unsure what was happening.

"Just kidding." Tadase said with a wink at the end causing Amu to turn red as well as a mad-mark to appear over her head.

"Y-You…!" Amu seethed as Tadase just smiled before reaching out and took hold of her hand.

Amu immediately calmed down and let out a small gasp when Tadase suddenly pulled her forward towards him.

Tadase took a step forward and before Amu could react, Tadase gently placed his lips on Amu's cheek.

"Oooohhhh!" Ran, Miki, and Su said in shock and awe as Kiseki, Flynn, and Dia all had shocked looks on their faces.

When Tadase pulled back, still holding her hand, Amu blinked a couple times before finally registering what happened as her whole face went completely red, heating up.

"EEEEHHHHHHHH!" Amu cried completely flustered from Tadase's sudden "attack."

"T-T-T-T-T-Tadase-kun?" Amu waved her arms frantically, unsure of what to do or think about what just happened.

Tadase chuckled before giving Amu's hand a gentle squeeze while smiling warmly at her. "I'm glad to be back too."

Amu's eyes sparkled before looking down at the ground with a shy smile. "Yeah…"

"Tadase!"

Tadase and Amu looked over to see Tadase's parents rushing towards them with shocked and relieved expressions.

"Mother-!" Tadase was cut off when his mother ran up to him and engulfed him in a giant hug.

"Tadase! I can't believe it…It's really you!" she cried as hugged her son tighter, tears escaping from pure happiness. "I'm so glad…You're all right."

Tadase's eyes started trembling in emotion, feeling tears well up in his eyes before returning his mother's hug.

"Thank you…" Tadase said as his father came up and hugged him along with his mother, elated to have Tadase back, safe and sound.

Tsukasa stood off to the side, watching the scene with smile as he glanced at the card that was in his hand.

"Even though the King was lost…he managed to find his way back to the deck…because he never could ever be forgotten." Tsukasa said as he closed his eyes with a content smile.

Amu watched the reunion with a warm smile, a tint of blush still evident on her face.

"Nothing warms the heart like that." Miki said as Amu nodded placing a hand over her heart.

"Welcome home…Tadase-kun."

**End**

* * *

Oh my gosh! I finally finished the main story line! XD Hooray! This chapter came out pretty long...Over 11,000 words to be exact. O_o I had to fit a lot of scenes in here, so I apologize if I overwhelmed the readers. And yeah, no direct confession of love since I think that's way to cliche and all, and I don't like writing a lot of cliche moments. If I left some things unanswered, don't be afraid to tell me and ask what they are or if I should go back and add them in, 'cause I'm a forgetful person. I put up a fanart on DA of how Tadase looked as Hiroto and Sync as a chara, in case anyone is interested. Don't worry, it's not a suckish doodle. XD Thank you so much to whoever read, favorited and reviewed this story, that was great support. I'll be putting up a couple of bonus chapters about what the Dumpty Key showed Amu and what happened from Kiseki's point of view. Well, that's all for now, matta ne! XD

There is something that is bugging me though...This doc won't let me use a ! next to a ?. Or multiple exclamation points in a row. It used to let me do that. T^T


	14. Bonus Chapter: Six Months

**Bonus Chapter: Six Months**

**_XxMonth1xX_**

Amu opened her eyes and was surprised to find herself floating in space as sparkling diamonds hung all around her. She felt tingly on the inside and warmth all around her.

"W-Where am I?" Amu said in confusion while looking around.

"Amu-chan!" Ran, Miki, and Su cried as they appeared beside her.

"What is this place, desu?" Su asked looking around.

"Could it be that we're inside the Humpty Lock?" Miki said as Ran stared at the view in awe.

_"This is the Road of Stars. Right now, we are inside the Key and Lock." _Dia said as Amu looked all over in awe.

"Whoa! That's amazing!" Ran said.

Amu was in total awe and wonder that she was actually inside the Humpty Lock. The view was truly amazing with the sparkling diamond hanging in the air, making the atmosphere breathtaking. The area also emitted a warm feeling, giving Amu a rather safe and calming feeling.

_"Amu-chan, look." _Dia said as Amu turned her attention to several bubbles floating in mid-air.

Amu drew closer to get a better look as one bubble floated up to her.

Several images shown within the bubble, though Amu wasn't sure what they all meant.

The images then honed in on one particular scene. Amu couldn't quite see anything since the image was blurred but after a while was slowly starting to focus.

Amu gasped when she realized that she was looking at an unconscious Tadase who was apparently lying in a bed in an unfamiliar room.

After a while, he slowly opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times.

_"W…Where am I…?"_ Tadase muttered just above a whisper in a raspy voice.

His throat was dry and cried out for water or anything to quench his thirst. But the pain he felt in his head overlapped his need to drink. He tried to move but whenever he tried, shots of pain went shooting through his body.

All he could do was turn his head to the side and saw that he was apparently in a dark room with only a light shining down on him like he was being interrogated.

His body felt hot and sweat beaded his forehead. He wished someone would turn off the light hanging above him, thinking it was the reason he felt so hot.

_"You are in Easter."_

A man in his late-forties or early fifties stepped out of the shadows and walked over to the bedside. He looked down at Tadase with a suspicious smile as Tadase looked at him with tired and confused eyes.

_ "W…Who are you…?" _Tadase paused.

_"Who…Who am I…?"_ Tadase asked in confusion, his eyes trembling. _"Why…Why can't I remember anything…?"_

Tadase tried to think back to his past memories but drew a blank every time he tried. He couldn't understand it…Why couldn't he remember anything?

The man looked at him with an unreadable expression before smirking.

_"I see…You don't remember anything? Anything at all?" _

Tadase slowly shook his head before wincing in pain. _"I…I don't remember anything…What happened to me…? Why am I…?"_

_"Calm down. You have been asleep for a long time. But don't worry, you'll understand everything in due time." _Director Hoshina said with an evil grin.

As the Director turned to leave, Tadase suddenly reached out and gently grabbed a part of his suit from the back. The Director glared down at him as Tadase looked up at him pleadingly.

_"Wait…Do you…know who I am?" _Tadase asked almost pathetically.

The two stayed in silence for a moment before the Director smirked down at him.

_"Yes, you are Hiroto Sateda, you pathetic little boy."_

Tadase eyes trembled slightly before he fell unconscious again due to the strain and exhaustion, letting his hand fall down off the edge of the bed.

"W-What is this…?" Amu said, her eyes trembling in emotion, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"This must be Tadase-kun's memories." Su said worriedly.

"This must be the time after he was kidnapped by Easter." Miki said in as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

'He was lied to at the very beginning…Everything said to him was a lie…

Amu slowly went back to watching the screen as it changed scenes.

**_XxMonth2xX_**

Tadase was panting vigorously as he lay in bed with a few doctors surrounding him. He had a towel over his head which was damp with sweat. He couldn't move as his neck had a firm brace and another lining his spine. His arms and legs were covered in bandages and felt as if he couldn't move them. He felt weak and vulnerable, a feeling he greatly detested.

_ 'What happened to me…? I can't remember…How did I get so…broken?' _ Tadase thought as he gritted his teeth, pain continuing to course through his body.

He gripped the sheets tightly as sweat poured down his forehead, straining himself from the pain.

Director Hoshina had not hooked him onto an IV, seeing it as a way to cheat yourself out of feeling pain. To become stronger, he said was to bear through the pain.

Tadase had gone through just that and had reached an unbearable stage. Doctors came in more often to monitor his condition and would sneak in a few pain killers to him, though they only helped a little to soothe the pain. He had grown a fever over the last few days from the never ending pain and the inability to get to sleep. The pain had kept him up for almost a week and he felt as if he was in a living hell for the past month.

_'Someone…Someone, please help…It hurts…It's too much…' _ Tadase said to himself, seething with pain.

Tadase was panting vigorously, trying to fight through the pain but was only successful in hurting even more. His body felt like it was on fire and that he couldn't breathe.

_'Am I going to die…?' _Tadase thought to himself as he felt himself start to slide into unconsciousness.

_"You're not going to die."_

Tadase weakly looked over to the side to see a man looming over him with a cold gaze. He wore his hair in a spiky ponytail and had scruffy eyebrows and a small beard. His eyes were sharp and gave off a cold feeling as if he looked down on him.

_"Are you going to let pain stop you? Are you going to give up because you are feeling something that is only momentary? If you are strong, you would bear through it like it was nothing. Pain only lasts an instant and then it is gone."_ The man said.

Tadase writhed in pain as he clung to the bed sheets tighter; causing his hands to turns white due to the strain.

_"Are you weak?"_ the man asked.

A tear streaked down Tadase's face as his face shone nothing but pure agony.

_"No.." _Tadase said in a forced whisper almost inaudible.

_"Say it louder." _The man commanded in a louder tone.

Tadase shut his eyes tightly as his whole body started trembling, balling his fists up.

_"I AM NOT WEAK!" _Tadase shouted at the top of his lungs, sitting up in the process.

Tadase stared at the wall wide-eyed before falling back in bed, panting heavily as tears steamed down his face. He gritted his teeth harshly as he shook uncontrollably.

The man smirked impressively at Tadase's sheer determination. _'He may be of some use to me after all…'_

_"Yes, you are certainly not weak. Once you are well enough, we shall see each other again." _The man said as he turned his back on Tadase and whispered something to one of the doctors before walking out the door.

One of the doctors walked over to him and placed a mask over his face.

Tadase felt himself start to get dizzy and felt numbness all over his body. His vision started to blur as the light that was hanging over him seemed to shine brighter. Before another thought could enter his mind, he finally fell into unconsciousness after several weeks.

**_XxMonth3xX_**

The screen now showed Tadase sitting on a medical bed with a doctor examining his condition. Tadase's bandages were littered on the side of the bed and the scars on his chest were still raw, but completely healed. Some wounds just don't heal. Tadase was staring blankly at the ground, letting his bangs fall over his eyes. The doctor checked Tadase's pulse and his reflexes before looking at the X-rays and then down at his clipboard with several different colored sheets of paper. He fixed his glasses that hung over his face before looking over at the Director, who was standing off to the side of the room.

_"Everything looks to be working efficiently. He may still be sore and weak for the next few days, but overall, he's made a complete recovery."_

The director nodded. _"What about his memory?"_

_"About that…Due to unknown circumstances, he occasionally suffers from irregular cases of migraines. They happen on and off, not too often but they can be severe enough to make him pass out." _

_"What is the cause of it?"_

_"My theory is due to his memory loss, but I'm not for certain." _The doctor then leaned close towards the Director so that Tadase couldn't hear._ "Though it seems that if he recognizes something subconsciously, it'll activate the migraines. But they have to have a big impact on him to inflict such severity. So I wouldn't worry too much, just as long as you keep him away from family."_

_"Understood," _Director Hoshina said before walking over to Tadase, who was staring lifelessly at the floor. _"Hiroto, now that you have made a full recovery, we will now get you back on track with your training."_

_"Training…?" _Tadase repeated lifelessly, unable to recall any training he's had in the past or any of his past for that matter.

_"As a worker of Easter, you must be prepared to carry out any initiative. Before you lost your memory, you were in the middle of rigorous martial arts training," _the director said, lying through his teeth. _"No matter, you'll just have to repeat the courses."_

Tadase said nothing as he stared hard at the ground.

_"Family…Do I have one…?" _Tadase mumbled, having heard the doctor mention the word, but didn't hear the full sentence.

The director sighed before giving Tadase a harsh stare. _"I didn't want to be the one to tell you this, but…You were abandoned by your parents."_

Amu gasped as Tadase didn't even flinch. It seemed that Tadase expected that answer and didn't move or look up, just continued to stare at the ground.

_"That is why you should be thankful to Easter, for we are the ones who took you in when you had no where else to go to. Remember that." _

_"I expect great things from you, so don't disappoint me."_

Tadase nodded slowly, keeping his gaze locked on the ground as Director Hoshina promptly walked out of the room, leaving Tadase to himself.

Amu felt overwhelming sadness flowing through her heart seeing Tadase like this. Though he wore an unreadable expression, she knew he must have felt lonely and confused. Everyone was shoving lies down on him, forcing him to believe them since he didn't know better. He couldn't question anything because he wasn't aware of anything else; he didn't know anything else existed behind Easter's walls. All he knew was what was placed right in front of him and told what it was. You could put a glass of water in front of him and tell him it was milk, he would believe every word. Amu didn't know how it felt to be so vulnerable like that. It must have been very confusing and a bit frightening.

"How…How could he tell him something like that…They're all lies!' Amu cried as Tadase looked at his hands.

He stared at them as if he couldn't recognize them as his own. A moment later, he balled them up into tight fists as a look of frustration crossed over his face. His ruby eyes darkened as he gritted his teeth dangerously. Tadase stood up abruptly before whipping his gaze over at the desk at the end of the room that had several papers stacked on top. Tadase's shoulders trembled before he slowly walked over to the desk. He stared at it for a moment, before gritting his teeth again and threw off all the papers that were on top, sending them hurtling into the air.

His eyes flashed with anger as took hold of the corners of the desk and suddenly lifted it slightly off the floor and threw it across the room with a loud crash. The lamp on top shattered into little pieces and lay strewn across the floor. Tadase took in several deep breaths, his bangs covering his eyes. His back was slightly hunched and his arms were hanging dangerously by his sides, his hands tense.

Amu watched him with wide-eyes as he gritted his teeth dangerously, making it seem like he had fangs. She gasped when she saw his eyes. They were dark red and seemed to darken with each passing moment. The first time she saw that look in his eyes was when she had accused him for attacking her when it really was a replica. His expression was absolutely furious and Amu knew that he was also hurt from the lie, though he wasn't aware that it was a lie. He thought everyone had abandoned him and there was nothing that could be said otherwise.

_"Why…?"_ Tadase growled.

_"Why…Why did they all have to leave me…? Why do I have to be all alone?"_ Tadase cried while waving his arms wildly before clutching his head in utter confusion.

He fell to his knees while gripping his head tighter, his eyes shut tight. His whole body started trembling before he slowly released his head and placed them on the floor. Amu couldn't see his expression clearly but widened her eyes when she saw something drop from his face onto the floor in front of him. She realized that he was crying with a pained expression on his face. Tadase looked as if he was being torn apart from the inside and couldn't take any more. Amu desperately wanted to go over and comfort him, to reassure him that he wasn't alone, but she couldn't. This was all in the past and there was nothing she could have done.

Amu could never understand that kind of loneliness Tadase must have been feeling. In his world he was all alone; not knowing anyone around him or remember anyone. His world was a black hole.

Subconsciously, Amu reached towards the image but the image suddenly disappeared, shocking Amu out of her trance.

Before Amu could say anything, another bubble came over, revealing another part of Tadase's memory.

**_XxMonth4xX_**

_"Hah!" _Tadase cried as he lunged at his martial arts teacher, the man who had visited him two months ago, Van.

Van merely moved to the side and grabbed hold of his arm and threw him across the room, sending him crashing to the floor.

Tadase let out a cry of pain before wincing as a sharp pain shot through his side. He started coughing violently as a few drops of blood dripped down onto the floor.

For a few weeks, Tadase had been put into rigorous martial arts training. For the first two weeks, he was forced into harsh physical training, where he had a build up strength before going into martial arts. It was a struggle as Tadase was bedridden for months, getting up to little or no exercise. Tadase was worked until his bones cracked and his hands were bloody and blistered. Even when he was sore and sleep deprived, he was always forced to engage in his training.

_"Get up." _Van commanded harshly as Tadase slowly rose to his feet only to be knocked down again when Van rushed up to him and kicked him in the stomach, sending him crashing against the wall.

_"Too slow. You cannot allow your guard to be down at any given moment or else you'll give your opponent the advantage. Now get back up." _Van said glaring down at Tadase.

This wasn't anything new, he was constantly knocked down like this when he wasn't doing what Van wanted him to or if his techniques were lacking. Pain made him stronger, which was something he was told constantly, Van made sure of that. Everyday of harsh training, Tadase was always bloody and bruised from Van's treatment. On some occasions which were especially grueling, Tadase thought he might end up back on the medical bed.

Tadase let out a few coughs before glaring back up at Van through dark red eyes. He suddenly swung his leg out to sweep Van off his feet. But Van quickly jumped out of the way and struck him on the side of his head and grabbed hold of his side and arm before throwing him down onto the ground.

_"Your timing is still off. Too many of your pathetic emotions are clouding your judgment. Focus only on your rage and hatred towards me and come at me with everything you have. If you don't, you'll never overcome anything." _

Pain coursed through Tadase's body as rage started boiling up deep inside him. He refused to be looked down on any longer and desperately wanted to show everyone he was not to be underestimated.

Tadase gritted his teeth as blood dripped down from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with the back of his hand and quickly jumped back onto his feet. He shot towards Van with amazing speed and attempted a punch.

Van caught his fist but Tadase flipped over and kicked him in the side of his head. Tadase smirked in triumph as Van let out a grunt. Before Van could recover, Tadase kicked him in the stomach before striking him across his face and then kicked him again hard in the stomach, knocking him to the floor.

Van hit the floor with a crash as Tadase panted vigorously while glaring down at him with pure fury in his dark red eyes. Van rubbed his sore jaw while also wiping away some blood that dripped down from his mouth before looking up at Tadase. He suddenly smirked before he started laughing.

_"Yes, that's right…Focus only on your rage…throw away all those other useless emotions._

_"Emotions and feelings make you weak. Without them, will make way for power and strength. Without any desire, except to serve, you will become truly powerful."_

Tadase seemed to drink in every word as his eyes turned darker and darker. No wonder Tadase seemed so empty when they first met him. He had gained great experience as a fighter but had no spirit in the way he fought. He sought only power and destruction, nothing else. A part of him must have wanted to gain back his memories, but they were pushed aside by Van's words of gaining power.

Amu widened her eyes seeing Tadase look almost like a wild animal, his eyes wide with rage and his body bruised and bloody. She could almost see a dark aura surrounding Tadase as his heart must have been black with anger and loneliness. She couldn't stand seeing Tadase like this and quickly looked away, not wanting to see the horrible memory anymore.

**_XxMonth5xX_**

_"You're training has been going well?"_

Amu looked up again to see the memory had switched once again to a different point in time with Tadase and Van standing in the Director's office.

_"He has made considerable progress considering he had only been training for a couple of months now. But he is still lacking in major areas." _Van said as Tadase stared straight ahead with a soulless look in his eyes.

Director Hoshina folded his hands on one another and pressed his chin against them, looking at both Van and Tadase expectantly.

_"Good. Now, Hiroto, I'd like to converse something with you." _The Director said looking over at Van, who nodded and quietly left the room.

Tadase watched his teacher leave before facing forward at the Director. _"Yes, sir?"_

The Director stepped out from behind his desk and held out a black egg to him.

Tadase cocked an eyebrow, not knowing what significance the item held. _"What is it?"_

A crack suddenly formed in the middle, causing Tadase to flinch before a small figure emerged from the egg. His hair was green and spiked. He wore a black and white outfit and had cold green eyes that seemed almost transparent.

Tadase felt a cold feeling in his chest. He didn't know what it meant but quickly pushed the feeling aside as the director started speaking again.

_"This is Sync. He is called a Guardian Character. He possesses great power and will aid you on your missions." _Director Hoshina said as Sync floated over to Tadase's side.

Tadase stared at the chibi character, still a little unsettled by his presence. He wasn't sure if this little creature would be considered normal, but didn't question it.

_"A Guardian Character allows you to do things that a regular human being wouldn't normally be able to do. Now, we will move on to the second half of your training. By combining your martial arts' training with a Character Change with Sync, you will be unstoppable." _The Director said with an evil smirk.

Tadase wore an unreadable expression but had no clue what the Director was talking about. He still had absolutely no clue as to what Sync was or what this Guardian chara or whatever they were called was.

He glanced over at Sync who glanced back over at him with a cold look emanating from his clear, green eyes.

_"What?"_ Sync asked as Tadase slowly looked away without a word as the Director went back behind his desk.

_"Van will help you to unlock Sync's power, but you must learn how to use Sync's abilities on your own. That cannot be taught so you must depend on your own understanding to achieve it."_

Tadase stiffened. Depend on his own understandings? He hardly knew how anything worked in this world if not for his tutors and teachers. If no one could teach him how to use Sync's powers, then how could he hope to be able to learn how to use them on his own?

Before Tadase could say anything, he was suddenly ushered into another training room. Unlike the room where he trained in martial arts, there were several targets and heavy weights lining the walls.

Tadase turned to ask the people who had taken him into the room a question, but they quickly walked out, slamming the door shut behind them.

Tadase ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He glanced back over at Sync who kept his eyes focused straight ahead.

He was still unsure on what this power the Director was talking about, but figured he should at least try and figure it out.

Sync glanced at him from the corner of his eye before floating over in front of him.

_"Character Change."_

Tadase gasped as he suddenly felt a surge of energy suddenly shoot through his body. His eyes widened in shock as he felt unbelievable strength pour through his entire being. He felt something on his chest and quickly unbuttoned his shirt. When he looked down at his chest, he was surprised to find a glowing green symbol.

He then looked down at his fist before clenching it, causing a spark of green energy to fly up.

Tadase shot his gaze towards one of the targets and released a powerful blast of energy from the palm of his hand.

The target was immediately blown to pieces upon impact sending pieces flying all over the place.

Tadase turned his attention towards the weights and picked one of them up before throwing it across the room against the wall like it weighed nothing. He then shot towards one of the targets while winding up his fist which started glowing with green light. He slammed his fist straight through the target before pulling his fist back and kicked the target over with a powerful kick.

With a rush of energy, Tadase shot towards the wall and ran straight up before pushing himself off. His body was suddenly engulfed in fire as he spiraled down towards another target, disintegrating it.

Flames flickered around him as Tadase stood up, his eyes glowing dark red as he narrowed them. He slowly got down on one knee before slamming his hand down on the ground causing vicious winds to erupt from the ground, destroying everything else in the room. Even parts of the ceiling came crumbling down from the powerful winds.

Once the winds died down, Tadase stood once more while looking down at his hands. He wore an unreadable expression before an evil grin suddenly crossed over his face as he started chuckling slightly.

Up inside a protective room, Van and Director Hoshina watched Tadase's progress through a window near the ceiling.

_"Who knew X-eggs held that much power. Transferring all that energy into that pathetic little chara was the perfect idea. Now, if he can perform a Character Transformation, he would be unstoppable." _Director Hoshina said well pleased with what he had just witnessed.

Van smirked as he gazed down at Tadase. _"Though he wasn't the initial target, he will do. He's progressed considerably than I had expected. He will make for a good pawn."_

That was all Tadase was to them, a pawn, nothing more. Amu couldn't help but feel a great detestation towards the man that Ikuto and Utau were forced to call father. But not just him, towards Van as well. They molded Tadase into basically like a monster. A heartless, power-hungry monster. Van had said earlier that she was the main target. Could she have been the one to have been like this if not for Tadase?

Amu didn't want to think of that or what would have become of Ran, Miki, Su and Dia since Kiseki had been subjected to their X-egg testing.

Tadase had saved Amu from more than being hit by a car, but also becoming Easter's tool. Amu felt herself tear up at the thought of how much Tadase had given up for her, for her safety. His memory, his heart, his true self, everything.

Amu gripped her chest tightly, feeling as if her heart was aching. It was just too much to bear. But Amu was only observing what had happened to Tadase, she would never understand how much pain Tadase had to go through.

Tadase was so kind and sweet, but was reborn as a heartless sadist who thought about nothing except following orders from Easter.

The scene suddenly switched to a later point in time, showing the inside of Director Hoshina's office.

**_XxMonth6xX_**

_"Do you understand, Hiroto?" _Director Hoshina said as Tadase stood across his desk with his infamous beak-mask over his face and his hair dyed jet black and spiked up to match that of Sync's.

He was now wearing his usual Hiroto outfit, black and green jacket and pants with orange bands wrapped around his arms.

_"You have no life outside these walls. Your sole purpose is to serve Easter…nothing else. Your friends and family have abandoned you…you meant absolutely nothing to them which is why they abandoned you. You still live today for we of Easter have graciously taken you in when no one else would. In return, you must obey the commands given to you without hesitation or question, understood?"_

Tadase tilted his head in acknowledgement, his expression unreadable. _"Understood."_

_"Good." _Director Hoshina said turning the back of his chair towards Tadase.

_"Remember, let no one see you until the time is right. You're dismissed." _Director Hoshina said as he stared out towards the window.

Tadase hesitated for a moment before letting himself out of the room. He gently closed the door behind him and stood outside of it, looking at the floor. Sync was floated beside him with an uninterested look on his face.

A moment later, Tadase swiftly strode down the hall and climbed several flights of stairs all the way up to the roof. The moon hung high in the night sky as a soft breeze blew through Tadase's night black bangs.

He climbed up to the edge of the building and peered down at the city down below, watching the people below minding their own business.

Tadase watched the city lights glow softly underneath him, flashing occasionally.

His jaw tightened as the lights lit up the shadow under his mask, making his eyes visible underneath. Without a word, he sprung high into the air and landed on the roof of a nearby building. Due to his black clothing, no one noticed him overhead. He jumped from one building to the next all the while looking down at all the people down below.

He narrowed his eyes down at them, seeing all of them as pathetic and worthless. None of those people cared about him, nor did anything when his family abandoned him.

Tadase suddenly felt something inside him stir as he came to an unexpected stop on top of a lower building. He gazed down at someone walking on the side of the road holding several bags of groceries.

Amu widened her eyes when she realized that the figure was actually herself walking home from grocery shopping with Ran, Miki, and Su floating beside her.

Tadase stood stunned as he watched her walk along, oblivious that she was being watched. He continued staring at her, dropping his guard before she walked out of view. He didn't understand why he felt somewhat drawn to her but quickly snapped himself out of his trance.

Sync glanced at him suspiciously before looking towards the direction where Amu had walked off.

_'What the hell? What the hell was that? Why do I feel so…' _ Tadase paused. He didn't know what he was feeling. Did he know that girl?

A sharp pain suddenly erupted in his head, causing him to clutch his head in pain.

_"Gah! What in the…?"_ Tadase cursed as his head started pounding harder and harder.

He took sharp breaths, trying to soothe his pain away but to no avail as the pain just came pounding harder and harder. He fell to his knees in pain while trying to fight off the urge to pass out.

_'What's happening? Why does my head feel like it's going to explode? It feels like something is trying to break through…but…' _Tadase thought as he let out another cry of pain.

**_'Don't fight it! Try and remember!'_**

Tadase flinched upon hearing the voice that echoed through his head. The voice he had heard sounded like his own, except softer and less rough. He narrowed his eyes dangerously as he doubled over in pain.

**_'Please! You have to-'_**

_"SHUT UP!" _Tadase shouted as the voice slowly faded away.

Finally the pain subsided as Tadase tried to catch his breath. One hand was clutching his head while his other was planted firmly on the ground, trying to regain his bearings.

All the while, Sync said nothing as he just watched Tadase gain a hold of himself.

Tadase slowly removed his hand from his head and placed it over his chest as his breathing slowly went back to normal pace. He glared over towards the direction of where Amu walked off to, gritting his teeth in frustration. He didn't understand what just happened except that upon seeing that girl triggered something and he didn't like it.

He pounded his fist against the hard concrete and cursed again before standing straight up. He slowly took his mask off his face and ran a hand through his bangs all through his hair. He then glared up towards the moon, moonlight reflecting light onto his face, seemingly to make his eyes glow red.

Nothing made sense to him and decided if he was going to find anything out, he would do it through Easter for he had nothing else. He still could not remember anything from his past and though he wanted to remember, he had given up on it since he still could not recall anything. He didn't belong anywhere else. He had nothing else outside Easter. His life meant absolutely nothing outside of Easter. Which is the reason he would dutifully follow whatever order he was given in fear of losing everything he knew and had.

_"You've got two choices, stop looking for the Embryo or face the consequences." _

_"Not as close as this!" Tadase said before slamming his foot down on Amu's back, sending her careening down towards the ground._

_"Is that it? Is this some kind of joke? I've hardly broken a sweat! How can you call yourselves Guardians when you can't even guard yourselves against my attacks?"_

_Amu took a few steps back as the boy appeared in front of her while winding up his arm, ready to punch._ _"Didn't I warn you, little girl?" _

_"Don't change the subject, traitor." Hiroto said pointing a finger at Ikuto. "You realize now with this bit of information, I can have the Director take away the small portion of freedom you have left."_

_"I just wanted to talk and say hi, if that's so wrong." Hiroto said with a mocking grin._

_"That's right. I'm nothing more but a mere tool. Once my usefulness has ended, I'll be thrown away."_

_"I had nothing… Easter is all I have. My life had no purpose before."_

_"In Easter I have a purpose. And I refused to let you are anyone else take that away from me!"_

_"The next battle, enough toying with them. Show no mercy." Sync advised while wearing a stoic expression._

_Hiroto was silent before flashing an evil grin. "You should be the ones who should be afraid."_

_"LET HER GO!" Rima cried as she and Nagihiko rushed towards them._

_"I want to help you find out what being happy feels like! You have a purpose besides serving Easter! You just have to take the time to look around!"_

_"I've had just about enough of your senseless babbling! You have absolutely no idea how to relate to me!" _

_"I don't know who this 'Tadase' person is, but he's obviously not me."_

_"I'm only here so Easter can use me. __In the end, only those of us who are useful are taken in out of pity."_

_"Curse those Guardians… If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be in this condition."_

_"I suspect you don't since you've lost your memory. But this is a peculiar place. Though it has been forgotten by most, those who have doubts or are lost can still find it."_

_"Six months… Six months have passed and I remember nothing! For as far as I know, I have no where to go back to! You don't know me!"_

_"It's your choice whether to believe in someone or not. Decide for yourself whether that person is trustworthy or not."_

_"I won't forgive you for taking my world away!"_

_"Even if that were true, eventually you **stopped **__looking. You all did. That's basically the same thing as being abandoned."_

_"Hmph. What is this? If this is some kind of stupid way to-" Tadase was cut off when Amu came forward and punched him across the face._

_"Stop crying."_

_"I don't know anymore. Everything doesn't make sense to me anymore…"_

_'Could it be… That I actually **do **__know her…?'_

_'Stop! Please stop!'_

_"I was bored."_

_"WHAT ARE YOU DOING STILL STANDING THERE? GET OUT!"_

_"Yeah, it was really fun. What do you think-?"_

_"I think I'm going to be sick…"_

_"Be a little more careful with yourself, stupid girl."_

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I never said anything about hugging!"_

_"What in the… A Guardian egg?"_

_"It's all right. Calm down. Nothing's happening."_

_"Being with you… It's both familiar yet unfamiliar. I don't know what it means, but…"_

_"I get it."_

_"Don't get the wrong idea; I'm still upset with you. But…I can't hate you, nor can I ignore the fact that you're in trouble."_

_'I really can't hate her, not matter what. She's just too…'_

So many memories starting pouring out like a river through the Road of Stars that Amu couldn't keep track of them all. It seemed like the Road of Stars were going to overflow with Tadase's memories. All the painful memories, fighting memories, happy memories, all clashed with each other. Through all the pouring memories, Amu could make out one memory that seemed to be recent.

_"Collect large quantities of X-eggs to lure out the embryo. If the Guardians show up…Take care of them." _The Director said darkly.

Amu then watched as the image switched to Tadase standing on top of the Easter building.

He blew into the tuning fork-like object, omitting a high-pitched frequency that attracted several X-eggs over to him.

_"Useless." _Tadase muttered as he snapped his fingers, sending several lightning bolts shooting right through the X-eggs, destroying them as they disintegrated into black dust.

Amu gasped at Tadase apparent cruelty and thoughtlessness. Though it also didn't surprise her much due to how he was brought up after the accident. But still, the way he had destroyed someone's dreams without a second though was somewhat frightening. He even called them useless. It was like the Director's words were coming out of Tadase's mouth. He didn't care if he had destroyed someone's dreams, as long he had some place to return to if he did so.

This definitely wasn't the Tadase Amu knew and…cared about as a good friend. She knew he was different from what she saw of him in the memories of the last six months. And it pained her to see him like that, but afterwards…

Amu recalled all of the events of her trying to help Tadase become more "human". Eventually, he had slightly opened up to her, though he was still quite stubborn about it. But she had gotten him to smile and laugh despite his stubbornness.

She understood why he had become so corrupted at heart and mind. She understood just what events had forged him into Hiroto. She understood just how much Tadase wanted to remember…to be able to belong somewhere with friends and family surrounding him again.

Tadase had lost so much and Amu wanted to help him gain it back. It was the least she could do for him after how he had saved her.

A tear streaked down Amu's face before she slowly brought up an arm to wipe it away. She regretted not being there for him when he really needed it, but was thankful that the real Tadase was recovered after so long. She slowly placed her hands over her heart, understanding just what Tadase went through.

_"Amu-chan."_

Amu opened her eyes to see Tadase standing in front of her, as Imperial Knight with Kiseki floating beside him.

_"Let's go, Amu-chan." _Tadase said softly while extending his hand towards her to take it.

Amu's eyes trembled in emotion before smiling back at him and reached out, taking his hand into hers.

"_Yeah!"

* * *

_

Sorry for the wait, but this was kind of complicated to make. Hopefully, this clearly shows what Tadase went through for the past six months after his kidnapping. If there are any ways for me to make this chapter better or if I didn't explain things clearly, please speak up. Please Review!

Next Chapter: Kiseki's Story


	15. Bonus Chapter: Kiseki's Story

**Bonus Chapter: **

**Kiseki's Story: Waiting**

**_ "TADASE! TADASE!" _**

_All I could do was watch as they took Tadase from his medical bed in the hospital to that infernal building of Easter, our enemy._

_Though they couldn't see me, I still could do nothing as my egg bearer was brought to a dimly lit room with dirty white walls surrounding him. There was a single bed, which he was placed. _

_Before I was able to follow him, a skinny, gloved hand suddenly grabbed me, much to my bewilderment. I wasn't expecting such a thing, as I am invisible to most adults. How could this have happened?_

_I turned my head to see a man in his mid thirties with light pinkish, silver hair. He wore glasses that seemed to always glare no matter if there was sun or not. He was also wearing a black suit top with purple pants and an outrageous pink collar. At the moment, he was wearing some sort of eye wear that seemed to glow lightly with green light._

_I struggled against his grip but to no avail._

_"Looks like I caught myself a lost little small fry, ne?" the man said in a high and aggravating voice._

_I narrowed my eyes at him, which only succeeded in broadening his already wide grin. _

_"Think you're so high and mighty, eh? Think again! For you are about to become my test subject." _

_I felt my eyes instantly widen at the words "Test Subject". The situation seemed slightly similar to what happened with that commoner's green chara and that despicable teacher. Although that commoner was able to get out of that situation unscathed due to impeccable timing, I don't think I will have the same luxury. For no one knows that Tadase has been kidnapped at this time. No one knows our whereabouts or our current situation. In short, this was dire situation with little hope of me escaping with Tadase._

_Before I knew it, I was thrown into a glass container that was hooked up to a strange machine. It was similar to that teacher's machine, but much more advanced._

_"Is it ready?" _

_I turned my attention towards a tall, dark man who had tan-colored hair that was tied up into a spiky ponytail. He had sharp eyes that gave off a cold feeling and seemed to penetrate right through one's soul._

_"Just about! I just need to make some minor modifications…" the strange man who had grabbed me said._

_The dark man turned his gaze onto me, making me shudder uncontrollably. This man…I couldn't explain why, but I couldn't help but fear for what he had in mind for me._

_"TADASE!" I cried once more, but my cry only sounded within my glass prison. I felt my eyes trembling in disbelief as I pounded my tiny fists against the glass walls._

_All my efforts were in vain as the timer started ticking down on me._

_A strange noise started buzzing all around me and I threw my gaze back over to the dark man and the sleazy one._

_They were both grinning evilly at me as the bottom and top of my glass prison started sparking._

_Fear gripped me as a demanded what they were going to do to me. I spotted another container that was surrounded by dark aura. I felt strong sensations of X-egg energy flowing through that container. Then it occurred to me…they were going to infuse me with X-egg energy. Just like that treacherous teacher was going to do, except…I had a feeling that they were not aiming to make me into the Embryo._

_Before I could react, a beam of dark energy shot straight down the middle of the container, right into my body._

_"GAAAAAHHHHHH!"_

_I felt like my body was on fire and also felt the sensation of drowning as well. My mind felt like it was going to explode as more and more X-egg energy was sent coursing through my small body._

_I strained to look at the dark man who just looked at me indifferently as if I was nothing to him._

_I let out another cry of searing pain as the intensity of energy grew, threatening to destroy me._

_I felt like I was being smothered by darkness, I was suffocating as I slowly closed my eyes. My mind was starting to seep into unconsciousness. I desperately tried to fight it, trying to prevent that infernal X-egg energy from taking over, but at the same time it was draining my will and strength to fight. I was slowly losing control of my mind and body as the dark energy seeped deeper and deeper into my being. Gold and heat clashed against each other within me as I felt the overwhelming sensation of exploding._

_The pain was unbearable and I wasn't sure if I was going to make it through this torture._

_The two halves of my egg suddenly appeared around me, slowly closing in on me. I tried to stop it from closing but it was all beyond my control. My body was about to give into fatigue as I desperately called out to Tadase once more._

_It was useless. It was all useless. For my egg forcefully shut on me, trapping me in total darkness._

_A moment later, light suddenly filled my vision as I found myself looking at that infernal man once more._

_"Excellent. The experiment was a complete success!" the man said._

_'What is he talking about…? What are you…?'_

_"From this day forward, you will be known as Sync. A chara we have forged from X-egg energy!" the man exclaimed as I felt my eyes widen in shock._

_Sync?_

**_"Wait just one moment! What are you talking about?"_**_ I demanded, but strangely no words came out of my mouth._

_I tried to speak out again, but my body didn't even move an inch. I tried to move but nothing happened._

**_"Don't bother trying. You can do nothing."_**

_I gasped in shock as my vision suddenly turned towards a mirror where I saw a spiky green-haired chara with cold green eyes. The thing I didn't understand was that I was looking in a mirror, but instead of my kingly self, I was looking back at this green-eyed monster._

**_"This body belongs to me now. And there is nothing you can do to take it back." _**_The insolent green-haired commoner stated emotionlessly._

_I shouted at him to stop but my pleas were ignored as the two halves of Sync's egg closed on him, causing everything to turn to darkness once more.

* * *

_

**_"Are you afraid?"_**

**_"…"_**

**_"Heh…"_**

_Within the darkness of my own mind, there was just me, and this accursed commoner who had invaded my mind and took over my body. _

**_"By calling me a commoner, you are referring to yourself as a commoner." _**_The green-haired demon stated._

_I glared at him and said with authority, **"Rubbish! You are not me! Wait…how did you know that…?"**_

**_"You were calling me a commoner, or rather, yourself? I am you, I can hear whatever thoughts you have."_**

_I shook my head violently, shouting out how he was lying. There was absolutely no way that I could be that…that infernal commoner. _

_I saw him smirk, causing anger to boil up inside me. The way he taunted me, it was degrading and made me feel like a fool. I despised that feeling but I tried to calm myself down despite that. Due to my current situation it'd be no use in getting angry._

_Suddenly, the darkness surrounding me got thicker, threatening to swallow me whole. It wrapped itself around my legs and started pulling me into it._

**_"W-What's happening?" _**_I cried as the one called Sync just watched me fall deeper and deeper into the darkness of my own mind._

**_"You're annoying me. It'd be better if you'd just disappear for a while." _**

_My eyes widened in horror as Sync just watched as I disappeared into the pit of darkness, rendering me paralyzed and unable to say anything._

_I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I could do nothing as I watched Sync use my body to fulfill Easter's wishes.

* * *

_

_Tadase and I were reunited, but not as Tadase and Kiseki, but the treacherous duo of Hiroto and Sync._

_Though I was rendered powerless, Sync still allowed me to watch and listen. Although, that made my situation all the more painful. I watched as both Hiroto and Sync brought my subjects torment and pain._

_As long as Sync's eyes were open, I couldn't turn away…as long as he was listening, I couldn't shut out the voices. I was completely at Sync's mercy. As long as that awful X-egg energy was still flowing through my body, I could not escape Sync's overpowering influence._

_Unconsciousness didn't seem all that bad to be me anymore; just as long as I didn't have to watch those commoners suffer by my hand._

_A king is supposed to protect his subjects and those dear to him. But I was forced to bring hurt to them. I couldn't stop him…I tried, believe me. The X-eggs energy's influence was just too powerful, rendering me useless. I was helpless as no one knew or even suspected that Sync was using my body. I still wouldn't acknowledge that lowlife as me, but I had to accept that he was a part of me as we shared the same body. Though our minds and our way of thinking are completely different as we are two completely different personas. Two different personas who are forced to share the same body._

_As time passed, the more I loathed the one who was in command of my body. At first glance, you'd think he was an emotionless lackey who would follow Easter's orders without hesitation._

_That part is true, but by listening to all his words and thoughts, I found out that he was empty…his heart was empty._

_He was sadistic, uncaring towards others, only cared about carrying out orders from Easter. He was nothing but a mindless drone who doesn't question anything. Though I found it quite shocking how he viewed himself the same. He saw himself expendable, as Easter would probably make more of his "kind" if he were to fail. He didn't care about what he did, as long as he had a purpose, even if it was only temporary._

_He didn't want to exist. _

_That came a complete shock to me. It made me somewhat sympathetic towards the diminutive thief, though I still refused to forgive him for taking over my body. He never acknowledged me after he rendered me useless within my own mind, but I had a feeling he had me watch what was happening on the outside to cause me grief and humiliation._

_ Not only was I forced to watch myself hurt those I cared about; but I was also forced to watch Tadase sink deeper and deeper into his own confusion and anger._

_It was painful to watch him struggle with his own emotions and fight against the Guardians, his own friends. I knew the real Tadase would never do any of these things, but in his current state, I really couldn't blame him. But it was still painful to watch, seeing as I could do nothing to help him._

_I was his Guardian Character, I felt absolutely worthless being unable to help or even talk to him. It was my duty to constantly remind him of his dream. But now, it seemed as if that was the least of his problems. I don't even know if this dream was what he hoped to accomplish anymore._

_It hurt seeing him like this…But…I didn't lose hope._

**_"I want to be able to help you smile!"_**

_Those words from that commoner made me grin. Though nothing would happen right away, I knew that little by little **she **__would be able to bring back Tadase._

_After the accident that got us into this predicament, I had partially blamed that pink-haired commoner for this tragedy. If she hadn't been standing like an oblivious idiot, Tadase wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself like that._

_But after thinking it over, I realized that if it hadn't been Tadase, it would have been the commoner instead. Tadase would still be in a pained position and I would be useless in that situation._

_The real culprit was Easter. They were the ones who initiated the plan to capture one of the Guardians to use as their pawn. _

_It wasn't fair of me to pin all of the blame on her, but since when have I been fair towards others? I have always done things out of self-interest or to help Tadase. It made me realize how utterly selfish I've been and completely oblivious to others' problems and pains. The only ones I've ever focused on was Tadase and myself, no one else._

_I guess part of the blame came from my ambitions and Tadase's dream._

_But now…I don't know. _

_Is it too late to come to understand my mistakes? To learn from them and become a better king?

* * *

_

_During the fight with the Guardians where Tadase as Hiroto unleashed his full power using a Character Transformation with Sync, I realized how draining it was for Tadase._

_Sync was not Tadase's true Chara so it had a draining effect on his body the longer he stayed in Character Transformation._

_My energy was being drained as well. I felt tired and weak, something I always hated. But it wasn't up to me to keep going, so all I could do was bear through this pain._

_Once the fighting was over and Hiroto and Sync were brought to their knees, the Guardians had quite a shock finding out that it was really Tadase they were fighting._

_It made me feel regret and sadness as Tadase didn't recognize his own name, but that is to be expected for one with amnesia._

_Confusion, fear, anger, hatred, I could sense all these emotions raging within Tadase. _

_Sync really did not care about Tadase as he only watched him with uninterested eyes while Tadase battled against his inner emotions by himself. I tried to call out to Tadase even though I knew it was all in vain. I couldn't speak; all I could do was watch._

_Tadase was walking aimlessly through the forest beside the school. The path looked familiar before I realized that we were in front of the Planetarium. I was greatly surprised at first, but I remembered Tadase's suspicious relative's words: "__Those who have doubts or are lost can still find it."_

_Fear overtook me when Tadase had passed out in the middle of the rain. If he wasn't taken somewhere warm and dry quickly, he could die! My mind screamed at Sync to help him. But my pleas were ignored as someone came by and walked up to Tadase's near unconscious body. Speak of the devil, it was **him**__._

_He carried him into the planetarium and changed him out of his wet and torn clothes into the school uniform. With the rain matting down his gelled up hair, he seemed more like the old Tadase, on the outside at least. But I knew that he was still in turmoil on the inside.

* * *

_

_The next few days, I was able to watch through Sync's eyes as the pink-haired commoner reached out to Tadase, allowing him to experience life outside of Easter's treacherous ways._

_It made me smile on the inside, able to watch Tadase become more and more like the Tadase I knew all these years._

_If Sync were not in control, I'd be scolding Tadase like crazy by the way he acted. He was acting like a…a delinquent commoner!_

_I couldn't stand it, but there was absolutely nothing I could do._

_I pushed those feelings aside as anxiety ran through me when I felt Sync's emotions start to build within me. He was plotting something against this; I had a strong feeling. Sync must have been feeling that if Tadase were to regain his memories, Sync would have no use since he is not truly Tadase's chara._

_Though Sync never expressed too much emotion and hardly even spoke to others unless necessary, inside he was brimming with curses._

_He cursed his existence and how he was born. It was a sad feeling, but nevertheless he was still a twisted being without a heart._

_Tadase was slowly slipping from Easter's control and Sync's influence. It was only a matter of time before he realizes who is again._

_Unfortunately, the worst of the worst happened.

* * *

_

_"Kiseki is gone, along with this 'Tadase' person. __If he can't remember who he is, he can't remember his "dream" and what good is a chara of a forgotten dream?"_

_Rage built up inside me. If I had the chance, I would punish this accursed fake for all the cruel remarks and taunts. _

_"I wasn't born a would-be self. I was never even supposed to be born. I'm basically just trash."_

**_"What are you talking about? Don't call yourself that!"_**

**_"You're still a living being, just like the rest of us!"_**

**_"We all still have people who need us. Tadase-san still needs you."_**

_They have no idea how those words touched me like no other. Even though I was their enemy, they still wanted to reach out to me. _

_Trapped within my own mind, it felt like I was nothing but the essence of Tadase's forgotten memory. I felt like I hardly existed anymore but when I heard those words, I felt elated and the will to continue believing that one day I would get my body back. I have been stuck in this body for more than half a year and I started losing hope that I would never get my body back. I had felt like I was slowly losing myself and giving up against Sync. Those words woke me up and Sync seemed to sense that my strong will and ambition had returned like fire within me. He felt it stir within me and it must have made him nervous somewhat._

_Sync did not feel the same way as I had to those words. He overlooked them and didn't give a care about anything they said. In his mind, he was only a tool, nothing else._

_Sync had abandoned Tadase and went back to Easter. I was completely nervous being back in that dreaded place, unsure whether or not Sync would be welcomed back._

_To my horror, Easter had created a clone of Tadase's body. The reason I said body is because it had no soul or heart. It had no entity of itself, only a mindless lackey, which Easter had tried to make Tadase into. The replica may have the same exact features of Tadase, but it showed no emotion or signs of intelligence. It was empty, no more than a machine or tool._

_Easter had apparently been looking for Tadase but unable to find him. So they resorted to making this…empty shell that resembled Tadase physically._

_The one known as Van had suspected that Tadase was close to remembering and figured that Tadase must have been hanging around the pink-haired commoner's home. He wanted Tadase back since he held vital information about Easter's plans, though I doubt Tadase really cared about them. He seemed more intent on spending time with the pink-haired commoner than anything else at the moment. It was highly unlikely that he would say anything about Easter since he thinks they abandoned him. Rather strange way of thinking if you ask me._

_Sync had confirmed the dark man's suspicions and told him of Tadase's whereabouts._

_Using this information, they then sent out the replica to sever the trust that Tadase and the pink-haired commoner had worked so hard to build. It was a rather cruel and harsh thing to do and I knew it would probably crush the two of them._

_By severing their bond, who else was Tadase supposed to turn to? I obviously was in no position to lend an ear._

_Not only was Tadase in Van's interest, but also the pink, blue, and green charas were within his interest as well. Though they were annoying and rude in my view at times, I knew they possessed great power, which the dark man knew as well._

_Sync was then given the opportunity to be useful and capture the three colorful commoners also to use this to lure out the pink-haired commoner._

_The first step to the plan was to make sure that Tadase didn't interfere. Sync had roused Tadase out of his sleep and spouted cruel words to him about being abandoned. This obviously pained Tadase deep down and tried to silence the spiky-haired delinquent, but little did he know that he fell for his trap._

_Sync had weakened the branch on the tree outside; full knowing if he flew out there Tadase would surely follow him. And just like he planned, Tadase jumped onto the branch and found himself fall into unconsciousness, literally._

_With Tadase out of the way to make certain that he would not interfere, Sync had also set yet another trap for the pink-haired commoner's charas._

_He was able to trick them into getting them to walk right into his trap and then whisked them away to the place where the pink-haired commoner was to meet up with the fake Tadase._

**_"Why you… Why are you doing this?"_** _the blue commoner demanded as Sync glanced down at her._

_Though I never would admit it out loud, I always did regard the blue commoner a smidge higher than the others. There was just something that felt different, though I find it embarrassing and slightly ridiculous for a king, such as myself, to be thinking about such things._

_Nevertheless, I felt a burning in my chest when Sync, in a rare case of teasing, decided to slightly flirt with the blue commoner._

_This was only once, but it made me slightly uncomfortable, hoping Sync would never do something like that again._

_Either way, it drove the blue commoner into a blushing fit, kind of like how the pink-commoner would react to when Tadase would comment her. I have not fully grasped the entirety of this emotion, as I didn't find relationships productive in world domination. But I could understand that bonds are what gives others strength, that much I could make out._

_My anger and loathing for Sync just continued to increase as he just smirked at her reaction._

_That's when the pink-haired commoner appeared, I was half hoping she wouldn't show up, but I knew that she would never abandon her charas. No good chara bearer would do such a thing._

_To my surprise, the thieving cat had also decided to assist the commoner in the fight with the replica. Even with their combined strength I doubt they could overcome the replica._

_Everything basically played into the dark man's plan as the replica did its job and severed that trust. I internally cringed when the replica knocked the pink-haired commoner into unconsciousness. It was truly horrifying to watch what the replica was capable of. Superior strength, speed, and endurance, it was basically like fighting a robot. The replica didn't even need to use any power from a chara. It was able to use power like that from a Character Transformation all on its own._

_The replica then brought the three commoners to the dark man, placing them in a machine of some sort._

_Soon after, the real Tadase was captured and hooked up to a machine where his very life-force would be drained little by little, using the betrayal and thought of being abandoned were replayed over and over in his mind until Tadase couldn't take it anymore._

_I desperately tried to overcome Sync's control and save Tadase from himself but all efforts were in vain. _

_Pain was shone clearly on Tadase's face as the machine continued draining his energy. Once he accepted defeat within his own mind, it was over.

* * *

_

_Sync's next mission was to collect four hair samples from four fairly strong-willed people. It just so happened that Sync attained two hair samples from two of the Guardians and then from both of the Tsukiyomis. _

_The dark man then proceeded in creating four more replicas. All of them were empty shells and knew only how to take and carry out orders. They were given different clothing and hairstyles, along with some of them dying their hair so that they wouldn't be identified easily. But the thing that disgusted me most about them, was the fact that their bodies were created from binding X-eggs to the strand of dna and draws their power from it._

_Everything seemed to be playing out just as the dark man wanted and to my shock, he betrayed the head of Easter._

_He then proceeded in gathering large amounts of X-eggs using that shrilling sound like that of Tadase's whistle but louder and at a higher frequency._

_I felt as if my head was going to split open from the noise but Sync kept his bearings as if he didn't hear it at all. It hurt so much, I didn't think I would be able to stay conscious but I did since Sync was still awake. I don't want to think about what would happen if I were to lose consciousness with Sync still awake._

_But once the dark man revealed his plans, my heart plummeted when I found out that I might not even get the chance of getting my body back._

_If the dark man succeeded, both Sync and I will cease to exist along with all charas and Heart eggs. It was a terrifying thought and I couldn't understand why he despised Heart Eggs. Heart eggs hold hopes and dreams of what kids want to be. What is so wrong with that? Yes, there are those who toss out their own Heart's Eggs because they feel that is hopeless, but what Van is doing is horrific. _

_The dark man obviously carried a Heart Egg at one point but was probably thrown away or maybe even darkened to the point of breaking inside him. I don't know his background so I can't be sure. But all I know that he needs to be stopped before everything is destroyed for us._

_Sync had gladly gone along with this plan because if Heart Eggs were destroyed, our body and soul would disappear. And Sync wants nothing more but to disappear from this world and end this torment of living in a body that is not even truly his and filled with negative energy._

_As the battle raged on between the replicas and the Guardians, I desperately tried to call out to them that the replica wasn't Tadase and that there was no need to hold back. But of course, I was silenced and the pink-haired commoner continued to hold back while fighting the replica Tadase._

_If the pink-haired commoner were to die, all would be lost for Tadase. There would be no hope for anyone after that._

**_"Gah! You stupid girl!"_**

_That voice snapped me out of my thoughts. At first I was in denial that it was truly him; but when I saw him racing out towards the falling commoner, my hopes had returned._

_Though I hate to admit it, I felt a great dept to that thieving cat since it was he who had rescued Tadase from the darkness of his own mind. But…I couldn't speak so I couldn't voice my gratitude. Oh well._

_I felt Sync's frustration boil deep down inside him and I couldn't help but smirk at his reaction. There was no doubt in my mind that their plan was prone to fail._

_'Shut up!' Sync cursed at me._

_It surprised me really, it was the first time in a long while since the time he told me to disappear that he actually acknowledged me. Though it really didn't matter to me much at this point._

_'This is far from over!' Sync's voice echoed throughout the vast regions of my mind. I know what you may be thinking and no, I am NOT stupid. It just sounded like it echoed…that's all. It wasn't like it was empty or anything it's just that…_

_Ahem, anyways…_

_As I watched in anticipation, I became slightly worried when Tadase was going to take on the replica all by himself. He had no chara with him; he didn't stand a chance! _

_Once more, I desperately tried to gain control of my own body. But this time, Sync actually fought against me. He never had to before, his influence always seemed greater to me. _

_I get it now. It was because of the situation. Never had I had more of a reason to gain control of my body at a time such as this._

_Sync writhed in pain as I fought harder and harder to control my body. For a moment, it seemed as if I was gaining the upper hand…_

_"Damn you…!" Sync cursed before I was suddenly sent plummeting back down._

_I was so close, so close. But in the end, I lost once again. It was just no use. Tadase had to fight alone; I could not help him._

_While the fight for control had went on, I failed to realize until I saw it that the replica had caused serious damage to the pink-haired commoner in place of Tadase. _

_I felt my eyes tremble in disbelief. It hurt to see that that commoner sacrificed herself to save Tadase in order to protect him._

_I then realized that this was probably what that commoner had felt when Tadase was hit instead of her. It was an awful feeling and I couldn't help but feel guilty about my initial thoughts about her._

_"But I am surprised. You held out much longer than I would have expected. You've caught my attention, Hiroto…No, Tadase. I would expect no less from my student. Why not join me again and I'll make the pain in your heart disappear. Without feelings of remorse to hold you back, you can become even stronger." Van said extending a hand towards Tadase._

_"…No."_

_That answer made me internally smile knowing full well…that Tadase was truly back._

_To my surprise, the new Guardian egg purified itself and hatched into a knight chara._

_…_

_A knight? Oh come on! Why would Tadase want to be a knight when his dream is already to become a superior king such as I? Knights are supposed to **obey **__the commands given from the King. Gah! This is extremely aggravating!_

_Okay, enough of my ranting. I have to admit that Tadase looked majestic in the knight's armor, but I still think Tadase looks more majestic in our Character Transformation._

_Before I could do anything, Van suddenly called forth Sync and I found myself enveloped in dark energy once more._

_The orb seemed to work as a linker, which enabled Sync to control the replica's body. Sync was then able to use the replica's body to the full extent of its power._

_Unfortunately, by doing this, it put a lot of strain on the body. I could feel my muscles start to strain due to the overexertion of power._

_With every attack, the more strain it paid to his body. I felt the strain build and build to the point where I thought we might be crack._

_I desperately pleaded for Sync to stop, but he would not have any of it. He wanted to finish this once and for all. Even though Tadase tried to reason with Sync, his attempts were in vain and Sync continued lashing out at him._

_"You will not change me! I stand resolved! I'm tired of this world; everyone can just die along with it!"_

_With that, Sync lunged towards Tadase with fury and rage as Tadase calmly watched him._

_I mentally begged Tadase to strike us down before Sync caused any more damage. Even if I were not to return, I hoped that I would at least be able to take Sync down with me._

_My prayers were answered when Tadase destroyed the replica body with Imperial Knight's ultimate attack. Unfortunately, upon feeling the first effects of the body disintegrating, Sync quickly separated himself from the replica body, escaping certain destruction._

_But upon freeing himself, all of the strain of the attacks rebound back on us, shooting huge amounts of pain through our body. It was unbearable, even more so when I first became the entity known as Sync. Our body had become unstable due to the over usage of power and the pain became so unbearable that my whole body numbed._

_The X-egg energy inside me was spiraling out of control, threatening to rip my body to shreds from the inside. Several jolts of pain continuously coursed through my body, causing both myself and Sync to howl in pain. Sync was losing control of our body and all I could do was wait before darkness would engulf me once the pain subsided. The dark energy was escaping from my body in all directions. I had never felt such pain. It was like going through a living hell. _

_Fear gripped me as my tiny body was slowly being destroyed from the inside. I don't know how long I would be able to hold out. _

_I was going to die. That was the only thing going through my head at the time as my vision started to blur._

_Through the pain, I could hear Sync laughing. He was glad that he'd finally be freed from this world, even if he had to suffer a bit of hell at first._

_Consciousness started to slip away from the both of us and slowly but surely our eyes started to close. I couldn't feel the pain anymore; everything was numb._

_Darkness was closing in when a cry suddenly sparked my mind again._

_Sync managed to force open his eyes and saw that Tadase was desperately trying to save us even though he himself was suffering._

_"What are you doing…? Why are you trying to save me…? I'm nothing but a half-completed experiment…nothing more than garbage."_

_"Don't talk like that! You are still my chara, even if you don't think so," Tadase said while wincing before giving him a weak smile. "I won't allow you to disappear, no matter what…"_

_That was definitely the Tadase I knew and I was proud to have been his chara. He must have known that it was me from the start, or else he wouldn't have risked his life to save me. I could feel my life force weakening and knew that my chances of surviving this were slim. If my body couldn't get rid of the excess X-egg energy that was flying out of my body, it would surely tear me apart. _

_Upon hearing Tadase's words, I knew that deep inside Sync, something had softened if not slightly. _

_"You're such a soft-hearted fool…"_

_My eyes closed once more as the last remaining life I had left was slowly starting to diminish. I let out one final cry of pain before everything faded away. I couldn't hear anything; I couldn't feel anything; I couldn't see anything. Everything was black…

* * *

_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Aren't you over dramatizing that event? You didn't die, you know? 'Cause if you did, you wouldn't be standing right here, Kiseki." Ran said as a mad-mark appeared over Kiseki's head.

"Insolent commoner! This is my story! And I'll tell it like I want!" Kiseki shot-back as Miki let out an exasperated sigh.

"Anyways, I wasn't finished!" Kiseki announced as he folded his arms together.

"That's when Tadase broke through the energy field and your bearer cleansed the X-egg energy inside me before I actually did die. Sync's control had finally been released and I was able to gain control over my body once more! With that, Sync was no more and I was able to regain my rightful place at Tadase's side."

Kiseki finished proudly as Ran, Miki, Su, and Dia applauded his story.

"Thank you!" Kiseki said proudly.

"I still can't believe all this time you were Sync." Miki said.

"Kiseki performed his own Chara Change!" Ran giggled.

"Silence! I would never want to be that sadistic ruffian ever again! I don't even want to hear that accursed name again!" Kiseki shouted angrily.

"How did it feel to be purified from the X-egg energy in your body?" Dia asked curiously.

Kiseki put a hand to his chin as he pondered the question. "Hmm…actually, it felt nice. My body was like ice when my life was fading but then this light came out of no where and started cleansing the X-egg energy from within me. It was painful at first, but then the pain faded into this warm feeling in my chest.

"Yes and after Sync's consciousness faded away into nothingness, my body felt completely drained from his control and the X-egg energy that initially flowed through my body. But because of the great fire that fueled my ambition, I could not let that dark man to be rid of Heart's Eggs. And so I thwarted his plan and rescued you commoners. So you are in my dept for sparing your lives." Kiseki said as all four of them sweatdropped.

"Hey, Kiseki. Why are we even in the Royal Garden? Haven't Amu-chan and the others already graduated from being Guardians?" Ran asked as Kiseki flinched.

"Yes, and where is Tadase-san?" Su asked.

"Why did you 'command' us to come here in the first place?" Miki asked suspiciously as Kiseki started sweating nervously.

"W-Well, Tadase is taking his make-up tests due to his six month absence…since he hasn't actually graduated yet." Kiseki said looking away while blushing.

"Ah, that makes sense but…Whoa! That's a lot of tests he has to make up!" Miki cried in bewilderment.

Kiseki smirked proudly while putting his hands on his hips like he always does. "Not to worry, for the only good thing about being captured by Easter were the great lessons taught by highly trained professors. Tadase should already know all the criteria, which is why he decided to take them all today."

'I still can't believe that we actually have to use something that Easter of all things gave to us…' Kiseki thought to himself spitefully.

"Wow, who knew that Easter's training would come in handy?" Miki said as Ran giggled.

"Yeah, both intellectually and physically!" Ran said remembering how Amu basically ogled at the sight of Tadase without his shirt.

Kiseki did a face-palm before sighing exasperatedly. But oddly enough he reverted to being shy and started playing with his fingers. "And uh…um…I…I didn't want to wait for Tadase by myself…"

"Eh?" Ran said, not catching what he said as Kiseki droned himself off as he started muttering incoherently.

"I think he said that he didn't want to wait around by himself." Miki said in a teasing tone making Kiseki blush slightly as he looked away stubbornly.

"By the way, where's Flynn? If you were lonely, why not have him hang around?" Dia asked as Kiseki grunted in annoyance.

"Who said I wanted his company in the first place? That commoner and I are mortal enemies! I would rather die than have him as company!" Kiseki stated stubbornly.

"You're just jealous that his character transformation is a lot better than yours." Ran teased as a large mad-mark appeared over Kiseki's head.

"SILENCE!"

Miki let out a sigh before blushing slightly. "Flynn is pretty cool…"

"WHAT?" Kiseki cried as Su and Dia giggled.

"Looks like Kiseki-san and Flynn-san are rivals to see who the strongest is and for love." Su said as Kiseki glared over at her.

"NO! That's not it!"

"Kiseki, I'm finished. We can go home-What are you doing?" Tadase said coming into the Royal Garden to see Kiseki being poked fun at by Ran and Miki. "Did I miss something?"

"Oh, so this is where you guys went." Amu said coming up behind Tadase.

"Amu-chan!" her charas cried happily.

"Spending some quality with Tadase-kun?" Miki said slyly causing Amu to turn bright red as Tadase chuckled sheepishly while blushing slightly.

"Looks like they were having fun." Flynn said coming in while hovering beside Tadase.

Kiseki immediately glared at Flynn before flying over to him. "Who do you think you are?"

Flynn rolled his eyes at him before crossing his arms. "I'm Tadase's would-be self."

"That is not what I meant! **_I _**am Tadase's ideal would-be self! Not you!" Kiseki shouted as the two started bickering and fighting again.

Amu stared at them sheepishly as Tadase let out a sigh. "Why can't those two just get along?"

Though Kiseki wouldn't admit it out loud, he had come to accept Sync as a part of himself. And even though Sync had caused him nothing but pain; he still was able to gain some wisdom from the events he went through with him, though he has of yet to put them into action.

He glanced up towards the sun shining through the roof of the Royal Garden, twinkling from the reflection of the glass walls.

'Sayonara, Sync the Tempest.'

As if being answered, a small breeze blew through the open doors of the garden, blowing through Kiseki's bangs. He could have sworn he heard a distant "thank you", but excused it as he was hearing things. Even if that were Sync's voice, he had no idea why Sync would ever thank him.

Maybe it was because he had come to accept Sync as a part of himself, which is something Sync had longed for. To be accepted as a part of something since he was brought up artificially.

Kiseki smiled softly up at the sun. The pain and suffering he had endured had left permanent scars, but in the long runs made him stronger. He was sure that he would help Tadase become a stronger person if not already until the time would come when he was to disappear back into Tadase's heart.

He was done waiting. It was time to act.

* * *

Well, that's it folks. Hope you enjoyed seeing things through Kiseki's eyes if not slightly annoyed. XD I think this fic is officially finished, but I'm open for suggestions. Give me any suggestions that go along with the story of what you'd like or would still like to see. But I will decline any suggestions that include a confession or a kiss on the lips. I will continue putting up bonus chapters if you viewers allow since I have nothing else to do on this story. Anyways, thanks for kindly reading and all the happy reviews! Once more, please review! :D

(If you were unsatisfied with this last chapter, please tell me how to improve it, thanks!) ~ Shadowsyaoranx-77 signing off.


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